We Belong
by MaggieFrost
Summary: Welcome to a Tree Hill world after the finale, a world of fun, laughter, tantrums and love. Be there to enjoy the ups and downs of your Tree Hill family as they contiue life as normal
1. Chapter 1

We Belong – Chapter one 

Peyton woke up to the noise of silence and her husband's snoring and for some reason that excited her, for the past two weeks they had been living out of a suitcase feeling as though they were burdening there close family by taking their couches and cereal. She kissed her husband's cheek before sweeping her legs over the side of the bed and carefully opening the curtain then proceeding to the window she leant out of, looking out over the over grown garden and backyard the swing set was engulfed with the height of the grass. Next to her feet she stumbled on boxes but despite her chaotic life and her chaotic home she could still remember that feeling she had felt the first moment she had stepped out onto the driveway with Brooke at her side about a week ago

_This was about the eighth house they had looked at that morning, she had been so excited to get out into the heart of Tree Hill house hunting, she not only got a moment away from the kids who she had spent about 99% of her time with in the past two weeks, she loved them but right now they were ratty and crazy. It was so hard living in someone else's home, the kids loved it and they loved it especially since they had felt lost and disconnected to their Tree Hill family when they had been away but it was beginning to take its toll and while Haley and Nathan were too polite to say anything they knew that they were feeling this pressure too. Lucas had taken their kids along with Nathan and his kids to the river court so that Brooke and Peyton could go house hunting, Lucas promising her that any home she picked would be an absolute perfect home for their family to come into. Brooke took a sip of her coffee as they waited patiently for the real estate agent to show up with the keys to the house, Peyton was already blown away by its structure, A bright green leafy bush formed a hedge around the front of the house and lead into the quaint little driveway to the two story home with gorgeous windows, a path that lead up the side of the house but was blocked off by a locked white picket gate, Peyton was dying to look around and see if this was their dream home "So P. Sawyer, I haven't asked because well you know I didn't want to pry but if we are looking at houses does that mean you and Luke are moving back to Tree Hill?" Brooke asked, they had been in town for over a week now and no word had been mentioned of whether they were staying and while Brooke wouldn't tell her this she was scared to ask if they were staying in case they decided not to stay and she had to face saying goodbye to them all over again, she had grown attached to the idea of being able to hang out with Peyton within five minutes of making a phone call to her. Peyton smiled as she turned around to face her best friend_

"_You know we came back to help Karen and Andy settle back in and while I was keeping an open mind a very open mind Lucas was adamant that we weren't going to come back, that we would stay for a week or so and then head back to our little beach house" Peyton gulped as Brooke's face became gloomier at the idea of not getting the answer she so desperately wanted "But by the end of the weekend when we were first planning on heading back when we all went to the river court and had that water balloon fight I could see it in Luke's eyes being with all of you guys again had gotten to him and he just didn't want to leave again" Brooke's face gleamed and so did Peyton's "And come to think of it I wouldn't want to raise my kids in any other place in the world, even if there is buckets full of drama and a couple of psycho's in the mix" Peyton said walking across to the car bonnet where Brooke sat and throwing her arm around her shoulder, Brooke put her head onto her best friends shoulder _

"_I'm glad you're coming home P. Sawyer Scott" she said as Peyton kissed the top of her head as the car of who they could only assume was the real estate agent rolled into the driveway. She stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door where she met them._

"_Okay Mrs Scott this is the last house in your price range with the requirements that you and your husband requested" she said putting the key into the door "Now the couple who previously owned this house separate and moved out of Tree Hill rather quickly a while ago the house is a little bit dusty and the backyard is a tad over grown but other than that it is a lovely family home" _

"_Other than that it's a lovely home" Brooke whispered sarcastically into the ear of her best friend Peyton who tried to silence her laughter, let's just say that this real estate agent wasn't up there with the best of them, she turned the key in the door and with a creaky push the dusty door was opened to reveal dusty hardwood floors and a bare place that was not remotely desirable according to the faces of Brooke and the real estate agent, but as the real estate agent Jane went to close the door again based purely on the look she was receiving from Brooke, Peyton pushed past both of them and walked into the home, Brooke followed as Peyton walked through in a state of awe the large open home, the foyer led straight passed a guest bedroom and an office to an open area that held a kitchen and an incredibly large room left bare where she assumed a living room and a dining room would go, both Jane and Brooke looked at her as though she was a woman possessed as she yanked the curtains open to reveal large glass doors that lead onto a recently added deck that over looked the large backyard _

"_It's been on the market for a while, you see the couple were doing it up at the time of their separation and they were half way through the renovations, it's hard to get people interested in a half modern half classical house" Jane said knowing full well that no one was listening to what she was saying, Peyton pointed to upstairs and as Jane nodded she watched as Peyton Scott and her friend Brooke Baker disappeared up the stairs, after a moment she joined them up there a smile on the blonde's face._

"_This is our home, this is so our home, I love it" she said turning around on the spot coming back to face them with this mammoth grin on her face "We'll take it"_

They drove back within the next two days leaving the kids with Karen and Andy, enlisting the help of Peyton's father Larry and Peyton's brother Derek to help them move out of their little far away beach house, they packed up a moving van and while Derek wished them luck and drove back to his family, Larry and Lucas spent some man time together in the self-moving truck that they hired as Peyton drove behind them in their family car, she had tried to drive the moving van but her dad made her stop when she had nearly ran it into a tree or when she forgot to turn the hand break on. That was two days, one very long car trip and one expensive trip to a furniture store ago, Peyton pulled her head back into the house and pulled the window shut, she looked over to her husband who slept on his chest with his shirt off, she smiled before checking on the baby in the portable cot in the darkness of their walk in wardrobe the gorgeous little girl looked exactly like her dad when she slept, Peyton kissed little Ellie's head before doing the rounds and checking on her other kids who were sleeping in the same room at the moment while they were setting up the house and unpacking their bedrooms. She walked past the sleeping kids and down the stairs, as she took the last step into the land of brown boxes she stumbled over a box and fell straight back down onto her bum on the bottom step she groaned and in frustration yelled "LUUUUUUUUUUCAS"

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"Are you limping?" Brooke asked holding onto the youngest member of their clan as Peyton walked back from setting up her oldest little girl at the kids table around the back of Karen's café.

"That would be because I tripped over a box this morning and landed on the stairs" she said hoisting herself up and sitting on the bar stool, wiping the dribble from under her daughters lip

"Girl you need to unpack those boxes" Brooke said with a smile as she looked down to Ellie and then around the corner to where all the little kids sat

"We can't start unpacking until we have painted, we can't paint if we are busy and the thing about having kids is you are always busy, so at this stage it is never going to get done. Lucas has the boys around today trying to clear out the backyard so that we can at least put the kids outside while we attempt to paint or do something" Peyton said exhausted by it all

"Okay P. Sawyer Scott I have an idea, Hales what are you doing tomorrow?" Brooke asked as Haley and her blonde mess of curls turned around to face her, her eyes half on the café, half on the kids in the back and then sort of on her friends, she took the moment to finally focus in on her friends and smiled.

"It's supposed to be hot tomorrow we were just going to hang around the pool and eat icy poles"

"How do you feel about sprinklers at Peyton and Lucas' with icy poles and a side of painting, dusting, furniture putting together-ing" Brooke asked as Peyton laughed next to her

"You don't have to do that, Brooke the kids will probably get lost in the grass" Peyton said before scooping the little girl who was beginning to get fussy out of Brooke's arms

"Well If Lucas and the guys can get the garden sorted we can throw all the kids out the back and take turns of watching them and water the garden all at the same time" Brooke said over enthusiastically "Jude Baker get down off that chair and give that back to Lydia right this very instant" she said from the counter before standing up and making her way over to the adventurous little boys of hers. "Peyton your back in Tree Hill we are all here to support you, you don't have to try and do it all on your own okay?" Brooke said walking over with her four year old son Jude on her hip.

"What do you think?" Peyton asked turning to Haley who stood with this amused look on her face leaning back on the bench

"A little working bee couldn't hurt" Haley said with a laugh before picking up the coffee jar and walking to a table.

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Haley was right the next day was hot and not just a little bit hot but the hottest hot could get, even despite the incredible heat their house had been swarmed by family and friends all wanting to help them settle back into Tree Hill, it was as though if they unpacked their life the little Scott family would stay and they all wanted them to stay and they were all doing all they could to make sure that it happened. Jamie and Lily were outside with the little kids running around under the sprinkler and handing out icy poles and fruit, little Ellie sat on the deck in her baby activity swing as her Aunt Haley sat beside her putting deck chairs together and watching along with the laughter and the happiness that surrounded her. Brooke was upstairs with Skills painting Sawyer's room green like she had asked while Nathan and Lucas put together the furniture in Leo's room that they had painted earlier. Alex and Millie were in Ellie's room decorating as Julian put together the chest of drawers, Mouth, Junk and Fergie with the help of Andy carried boxes and furniture from the shed into the house where Peyton and Karen took it and unpacked it in the corresponding bedrooms.

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Officially it took five hours to complete the house and set up beds downstairs so that they didn't suffocate on paint fumes, Mouth had laughed when they had blown up the big double mattress for Lucas and Peyton to sleep on because the last time he had seen it was deflating onto the floor underneath him, that was the night he shared a bed with Lucas and Peyton and he remembered the shocked look on Sawyer's face the next morning when she had walked out to see her parents and he found it so incredibly funny that after all this time they hadn't replaced the mattress. Skills had skipped out for half an hour and picked up a Chris Keller and slabs of beer that were ice cold and quickly ripped in to. Peyton walked out with as many beers as she could hold in one hand with Brooke behind her doing the same onto the deck where the rest of the girls sat, the sun was finally setting which meant that the heat was slowly disappearing and the kids who continued to run around under the sprinkler began to get colder and disappear into the house, running around the island bench where the boys stood huddled laughing and drinking the night away, Peyton looked back to the girls who sat sprawled out taking big long sips of their beers and smiled

"Hey guys" she said as they all turned to her "Thank you so much, I mean for all of it, all you did for us today" she said getting choked up with emotions as she realised how amazing her life was and how much gratitude she had because of it, the boys came out onto the deck as Haley ushered them out with one look

"There is something we would like to say" Haley said standing up on the chair as everyone looked at it cautiously wondering if the chair was sturdy " We are so glad that you guys are back, all of you. It brings us such joy and such happiness to all be sitting on the deck of your house in Tree Hill knowing that considering you have so much stuff you probably will never move again" she said with a laugh "So on behalf of us all Welcome home" Haley said lifting her glass into the air as everyone else did the same.

To be continued!


	2. Chapter 2

We Belong – Chapter two

Brooke was standing at the dresser going through her final beauty routine of the night, she had worked in the morning at Baker Man before taking the afternoon off and spending some time with her boys before heading back to the Café and helping Haley out by doing the late shift at the café. She had gotten home at the middle of story hour, walked in and kissed her boys before heading to her bedroom and having a well-deserved break, when Julian first walked into their bedroom he looked exhausted, yet incredibly sexy at the very same time, he flopped down on the bed and she smiled walking over and doing the same "So did they go to sleep easy?"

"Yeah pretty easy, I just told them a story and they were good"

"Was it about how much you love me?" she asked as she draped herself on top of him

"Well I was telling them about the camping trip with the guys" he said with a smile as his wife nodded along "And about how brave Jamie was and one thing lead to another and so I told them the story of drag leg Laura"

"You didn't" she sighed "Julian" she said in the tone she used when she was annoyed or confused or wanted him to do something for her "Chuck like wet his pants when you told him that story, why would you tell it to our boys?"

"We are boys we tell spooky stories that's how we bond, anyway they loved it"

"I don't care if you bond over farts and spooky stories all I know is that if there are any wet beds tonight you are on laundry duty" Brooke said as she jumped off him, getting under the duvet and turning off the lights. She moulded into his side and prepared herself with a smile for a great night of sleep when all of a sudden screaming and loud running footsteps come up the hall and their bedroom door swung open.

"DRAG LEG LAURA DRAG LEG LAURA" they yelled as they jumped into their parent's bed and began hogging the duvet covers in an attempt to hide themselves

"Boys are great they said play with cars they said well girls play with Barbies and don't bond over scary stories" she whispered coarsely and harshly across to her smiling husband.

"And farts" he added as Brooke groaned and tried to take back some of her duvet.

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Haley walked into the music room where she had left her two little girls while she went to get the laundry from the washing machine, Leaving Lydia her outlandish four year old jumping from couch to couch in a prancing fashion avoiding the 'lava' that was apparently the floor and her gorgeous baby Iz who was playing her little electronic fisher price piano. She walked back into the room in her long flowing skirt and her dark singlet with the laundry basket resting against her hip; she smiled when she found her two daughters standing at the window, Lydia curiously peeking out and Izzy firmly grasping the ledge and trying her very hardest to get a glimpse at whatever her big sister who she idolised was looking at, still too little to comprehend what was going on outside anyway.

"What are you looking at babe?" Haley asked as she placed the washing basket onto the couch and walking over to the window, she let out a massive laugh as she stood over Little Lydia, her youngest daughter standing at her feet groaning and trying to get her mum to pick her up, as she did and returned her gaze to her husband standing outside with her boys and Clay dancing and prancing about the backyard. Haley took Lydia's hand before walking outside and opening the back door so that they could get a closer look, Lydia running out to join them as Haley walked past the pool, down the stairs where she placed Isabella, leaning against the handle and laughing at her husband, kids and brother in law. Nathan saw her and after his brief embarrassment he realised that she had seen his horrible dance moves before and walked up to her hugging her before picking up the little girl who threw herself around her dad's leg as he threw an arm around his wife who continued to watch.

"What is going on here?" Haley asked with a laugh looking from the scene in front of her to her husband as the crowd in their backyard began to make their way to them

"Jamie has a school dance, we were just showing him some of our famous moves" Clay said all sweaty and red with a massive smile on his face

"And he asked you guys?" Haley asked with a smirk as Jamie stood behind them shaking his head

"Yeah, Nathan has one a dancing competition" Clay pointed out and Nathan nodded along

"Jamie is not doing that kind of dancing at his school dance, he'll get suspended for that kind of dancing" she said with a laugh "You know what while I think you are an excellent dancer babe" she said getting up on her tippy toes and kissing her husband on the lips "And you too Clay" she said kissing him on the cheek "But I'm heading to the river court to give Lucas something so if Skills is down there I can ask him to help you with this dancing thing?" she asked her son that instantly nodded along.

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"Hey Dorkus" Haley said as she got out of her car "Sawyer left this at my place" she said as she walked over to where he stood at the river court.

"Thanks Hales" he said with a smile as she took a spot next to him on the edge looking out

"We hit the jackpot Luke, found an abandoned shopping trolley" Skills said rolling it over to where they stood with Mouth, Junk and Fergie beside him "And Mouth found a helmet"

Haley laughed nervously and cautiously as she looked at the boys that surrounded her "What are you guys up to?"

"Well you see Haley, Mouth here is going to help us conduct a little experiment" Lucas said with his usual squint and humoured tone

"Okay fill me in" she said getting pretty excited

"Are you sure you want to know?" Lucas asked as Haley nodded at him

"To see how fast a trolley will go with a run up and a mouth inside of it" Skills said with this undeniably huge smile

"You guys are so immature" Haley said with this laugh as they looked at her

"Well Haley James Scott I guess that means you don't want first go at pushing him" She laughed as Mouth put his helmet on and jumped into the trolley and with little hesitation she turns to Lucas and hands him her handbag

"Screw it, Maturity sucks" she said putting her hand on the bar and instantly regretting her shoe choice.

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Her kids were all down for naps, other than little Sawyer who was sitting in the corner happy reading her book and colouring in, not making a fuss as her mother attempted to catch up on the soap operas that she just didn't have time for now, she took a deep exhale and sigh when the doorbell rang, it was as though she could do nothing to have a moment of piece, her daughter and her blonde curls looking at her as if to say 'well are you going to answer that?'. Peyton got up from the couch and walked to the front door, opening it to her smiling best friend and her not so enthusiastic little boy and she felt a smile appear on her own face, she was really loving the fact that she could be sitting at home in her track pants and not have to travel further than her front door to see her best friend who she had missed so incredibly much while she and Lucas had been building their little family so far away.

"BROOKIES ARE BACK IN BUSINESS" Brooke said with a jump and a very enthusiastic grin

"What?" Peyton asked with a laugh

"Bake sales, elementary school, tomorrow, help me?" she asked with her smile that no one in the world could say no to

"Come in" she said stepping aside as Brooke practically pounced in.

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They were all puffed out and smiling when Mouth walked up the hill with Lucas pushing the trolley, they all collapsed in a pile onto the river court where they lay in an attempt to catch their breaths, but every time anyone moved they would all break into hysteric laughter. 'My kids can never know about this" Haley said between uncontrollable fits of giggles

"My future kids can never know about this" said Mouth still wearing his helmet and still a little bit dizzy.

"Hey Skills" Haley said sitting up after composing herself, he looked to her and smiled "Jamie has this dance coming up and he doesn't know how to dance, Nathan and Clay were trying to teach him but you know how hopeless their moves are" she said as Skills knowingly nodded "Would you mind giving him a few pointers?"

"I'll get him surrounded by girls eating out of his palms with his moves"

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"Heeeeeellllllooooo" she said over exaggerated as she walked into the home and into the kitchen where her niece latched onto her legs, she waved her arms around to get the smoke out of her face "What the hell happened in here?"

"Brooke is trying to make cookies" Peyton said with a laugh "Are you limping?"

"Nope" she said trying to uphold the pact that they had made at the river court half an hour ago. "What are we talking about?" she asked

"Well tutor girl we are talking about how these cookies have to beat those of the most hated and smug mother in Tree Hill" Brooke said with this look of determination

"Clarissa Smart" Haley said with a knowing sigh, she had been privy to this conversation since play group, Clarissa was mother of another set of Twins in Tree Hill Tom and Chris and they were the most spoilt rotten kids in the whole world in most of the mothers of Tree Hills eyes, the kids that thought it was okay to tease all the other kids and their mother would do nothing about it. Haley picked up one of the warm cookies from the plate and put it in her mouth, before looking for a tissue and spitting it up into it "my god these are awful" she said as Brooke and Peyton both laughed

"Well we can't make Peyton's" Brooke whined all sulky "That much salt will kill a kid"

"Step aside" Haley said rolling up her sleeves and walking into the kitchen

"Baby Mama to the rescue" Brooke said with such glee and excitement

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Brooke stood behind the 'BROOKIE' stand in the crowded elementary school courtyard, filled to the brim with parents and children running around, she had sent her husband off to do a round and smell out the competitors for her but after a couple of laps her sons had become sick of it, so now she watched his backside as he stood at the edge of the playground with Nathan and Lucas at his side. She turned her attention from her husband's back end to her bouncy blonde best friend who took massive strides towards her, while she had a coffee tray in her hand Brooke assumed that she had already downed a couple, there was no way in hell that Peyton could be this cheery at this time of the morning especially surrounded by yelling children, she passed her a cup as she approached and smiled "Where did Haley go?" she asked taking a sip

"Last time I saw her she was staking out a cake stand" Brooke said with a laugh as she took in a much deserved sip of her strong black coffee

"Have you seen your arch nemesis yet?" Peyton asked leaning against the table, curious to what this lady looked like that was causing havoc on her friend

"Speak of the slut" Brooke mumbled under her breath to Peyton who turned and altered her focus, the very tall, red haired woman dressed prim and proper walked towards them "And she has the hoe posy" Brooke said making Peyton giggle

"Oh wow creative name" she said with a smirk as she approached the table

"Where is your stand Clarissa?" Brooke asked trying to hide a slight smile

"actually this year I decided that it would be more beneficial to spend the time with my children then waste my time with a stand, but you wouldn't know anything about that" Brooke was seething and Peyton could see that this fight was about to get nasty

"You see I'm curious to how you find enough time to spend with your kids and your Botox practitioner, I mean you have to have some serious time at the salon for your forehead to look like that" Brooke said, knowing it wasn't her finest work but still wanting to give herself a high five.

"Look Bitch" Clarissa said moving closer to Brooke, the commotion starting to get outside attention but not much attention was paid, you tend to look the other way when there is a Clarissa Smart talk going on.

"Hey I suggest you step away from my friend" Peyton said stepping out in front of Brooke

"I don't believe we've met, I'm Clarissa and you are Peyton right? Your new to the area, I suggest you don't step into the wrong crowd and get all your facts straight before you jump into defending the whore of the hill" she said indicating to Brooke who over exaggeratedly laughed to make a point, Peyton could see Lucas, Nathan and Julian looking their way with this matching dumbfounded look on their faces

"Hey B-I-T-C-H, your son from your first unsuccessful marriage goes to Tree Hill High right? Check the walls I'm not new to the area. Secondly Brooke is my Best friend so I don't even need to know all the facts for me to stick up for her and thirdly where do you get off starting this C-R-A-P at an elementary school?" Peyton asked as Clarissa gave Brooke and then her posy the look before walking away from the confrontation as Brooke began to get over excited and started jumping around while Haley walked up to the table.

"What happened here?" she asked before beginning to stuff her face full of the delicious cookies she had helped create

"Clarissa Smart" Peyton said in a low groan as life around them turned normal

"And a high school flash back" Brooke said still a little worked up by the whole thing, glad that her best friend was back in town to stand up for her, it was kind of comforting knowing that Peyton was at her side as well "And Peyton here totally went 'Feisty'" she used the hand gestures they used to use in high school when one of them was being a total bitch which made all of the girls laugh "diva on her, well other than when she spelt out Bitch, what happened to you man?"

"Brooke we're at an elementary school" Peyton said pointing out the very obvious

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She wasn't going to pretend that Clarissa Smart's comment hadn't affected her, and while she knew that she spent as much time as she could and dedicated all of her life to her little boys she felt as though she was neglecting her little boys, so she went to the toy shop, Not in an attempt to buy her children's love, she knew that feeling of unconditional love, she was never going to be her parents instead she went to the toy shop in the hope to find something that they could all do together as a family to have a little fun and soothe that pain that Clarissa had thrusted upon her. Brooke walked into her house to find her three boys sitting on the couch, Julian in the middle of the boys who had clearly just been in the bath. As they spotted the big bags they ran over and she put the bags on the floor, kissing her boys heads as they frantically tried to open them, she walked up to Julian and weaved herself around him as they watched the boys excitedly unpacked the contents of the bags to reveal four nerf guns, they celebrated as Julian laughed and looked down to his wife all confused.

"One each men, Meet back here in five minutes so we can play" she said with a smile as the boys ran up the hallway with the large toy gun in their arms. "I'm not a bad mum am I?" she asked looking up to Julian

"What?" he asked completely outraged by her last question, he kissed the top of her head and brought her closer in "You are the best mum ever Brooke Baker"

"That's just what I needed" she said as she let go of him, walked ahead and picked up one of the remaining nerf guns

"Girls are great they say, play with Barbies they say, well my girl is holding a nerf gun and I must say it is pretty sexy" he said with his Julian Baker smirk as she poked out her tongue

To be continued 


	3. Chapter 3

We Belong – chapter three

"I just don't know why she is so fussy, I mean it's Isabella she is never fussy" Haley said kissing the head of the little girl whose head rested on her mother's shoulder, her blonde locks falling onto her back as she sucked her thumb. Izzy Scott had always been their chirpy, easy daughter. They hit the jackpot with their first two kids, well behaved, well mannered, cute as buttons but the biggest shock came when Haley gave birth to her twins, one gorgeous little cranky pants baby boy and one gorgeously placid and cheeky baby girl, it had sort of been perfection but this afternoon Izzy was crankier than her twin brother, crying every two seconds and throwing tantrums like Haley would never believe and that had really worried her, she figured that Izzy was probably just tired and that maybe a good night sleep would bring her carefree baby girl back to reality. Next to Haley stood Nathan holding their son Sammy in his arms, the boy surprisingly alert as he sat on his father's lap, this was every nights routine: after dinner Nathan and Haley would leave Lydia and Jamie downstairs to have some chill out time while they would pick up a twin each and separate the trouble makers to get them off to sleep usually they would alternate the twin they took so they got cuddle time with them both. As Haley went to turn from the stairway her two older children ran past her in a whirl wind, Jamie holding Lydia's stuffed bunny rabbit above his head and his sister yelled at him whilst running "JAMES LUCAS SCOTT GIVE YOUR SISTER BACK HER RABBIT" she yelled as her husband looked at her with a smile, she let out an exhausted laugh "Why did we have four kids again?"

"I ask myself that every day" Nathan said with a cheeky smile as his wife looked at him outraged before turning her head back to the commotion happening in the hallway

"And you two get your pyjamas on please" she said before walking into Isabella's nursery which once housed her sister Quinn had spent the days after her separation in, the room that had another bedroom directly across from it in a little separate hallway section, and that room housed her twin brother Sammy.

Nathan walked into the blue bedroom, turning on the light and laughing at his squirming son who seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to being put in his crib. Nathan put him on the floor as he opened the top draw and got out a pair of pyjamas before catching Sammy around the waist as he made a break for the door

"Did he try and run away again?" Haley yelled across the small hallway

"You're not getting away this time" he said with a tickle as he placed Sam down on the changing table and pulling his t-shirt over his head whilst simultaneously trying to keep him still "Ah Haley" he said moving in to get a closer look at the dot on his son's chest "Did you leave Lydia alone with the markers again"

"No why?" she yelled back at him

"I think she has been drawing on Sammy again" he said continuing to look intently at the dot on his son that was starting to fuss

"Babe are the dots red?" she asked with this uneasy tone

"Yeah how did you know?" he exclaimed sounding a bit more excited than he should have been

"Well I don't think Lydia has been drawing on the twins again, I think that the twins have the chicken pox" she yelled behind her as she looked at the matching dots on their daughters chest, she picked the little girl who was just wearing a nappy up onto her hip and bounced her up and down in an attempt of soothing, she turned and found her husband standing in the doorway with a matching twin on his own hip

"Really?" he asked as Haley nodded "Oh man"

"This is going to be a very long night" Haley sighed as Izzy started crying again.

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"Dad hey daddy" she whispered loudly in her sleeping fathers ear, he jumped as he woke up and turned to face her

"What are you doing kiddo?" he mumbled quietly trying not to wake his sleeping wife, it was one of those rare mornings that their two youngest kids didn't wake up in the early hours of the morning he guessed that chasing Leo around the backyard yesterday in an attempt to tire him out had paid off, and well their little baby Ellie was an awesome little sleeper, loved it like her mama.

"Its morning daddy, you said in the morning that we could have pancakes"

"Mama isn't awake yet" he said simply looking into the pleading precious warm eyes of his little daughter "And It's six thirty, didn't we say that we would have pancakes if you stayed in bed till eight" he said putting up eight fingers as she did the same in front of him

"But dad I can't sleeeeeeep" she whinged as the woman next to them let out a laugh to the surprise of both Lucas and Sawyer who abruptly turned, it was a groggy sort of laugh but a laugh never the less "Mama is awake, now can we have pancakes" she said with the smile that she knew her father had a hard time denying, she had worked that out at a young age

"Sawy" Peyton whispered not opening her eyes but using her finger to usher the girl over "Mama needs to tell you a secret"

"Is it about the pancakes?" Sawyer asked as she climbed over her father sticking her foot into her stomach making him wince as she climbed onto her mum and wrapping her arms around her mum's neck, putting her ear to her mother's lips "What is it mama?" she asked while her mum kissed the little girls ear before encasing her within her own arms, wrapping her tightly

"It's sleeping time girly" she said as she turned onto her side putting her laughing daughter onto the space left bare between her parents, she squirmed as her dad looked on and laughed, eventually Peyton let go and the room went silent, he thought he had hit the jackpot, that Sawyer was fast asleep beside him and as he shut his eyes this prodding began at his forearm

"What Sawyer?" he said with a hint of frustration in his tone as Peyton sniggered next to him

"Sleeping is boring" Sawyer said with a whinge as Peyton continued to try and hide laughter, there was no doubt that she was so truly madly deeply in love with their Sawyer, she was so gorgeous and funny, Sawyer Brooke Scott was their little trouble maker who had changed her parents life for the better, She was the only other woman that she knew that could wrap Lucas around his finger the way that she could, but she knew that their little Ellie Scott was going to be the exact same way, she was already on her way to it. Lucas reached over to the bedside table seemingly ignoring his blonde bombshell of a daughter, he kept thinking about how much trouble this girl was going to be when she hit her teenage years as he reached for the TV remote and passed it to his daughter who smiled widely at him before finding the big red button "Cartoons" she said with this evil chuckle in her tone

"Not too loud bubba" Peyton said as she turned onto the other side "We're still trying to slee…" interrupted mid word by the crying over the baby monitor that indicated that their second little girl "p. I'll get her" Peyton said going to throw off the duvet covers

"Nah I've got her, you stay in bed" he said leaning over his daughter and kissing his wife on the lips, she watched as her shirtless husband staggered out of their room in his grey tracksuit pants, she smiled before taking up the same position as their eldest daughter

"What's going on kiddo?" Peyton asked as she watched the episode of coyote vs. road runner that she swore she had watched one hundred times before

"He dropped the piano on his head" Sawyer exclaimed in hysterical laughter as her mother watched on, cracking up right beside her. Lucas walked into the room with baby Ellie on his hip and little Leo connected to his thumb, the cheeky boy spotting his mum let go and ran to her side of the bed where she promptly picked him u

"Guess who else I found mum" he said as Leo snuggled into his mums chest, Lucas sat down and put Ellie in his lap, If the rest of his days were like this he would be the happiest man around. But at a moment's notice Sawyer was at her feet and running towards the window "What are you doing Kid?" Lucas asked with a smirk watching his daughter run havoc

"Do you think grandpa would like pancakes?" she asked turning around to face her stunned parents with a smile before running out of the room like a crazy child

"Grandpa?" Lucas asked as he turned to face Peyton with a smile

"Dad?" Peyton said to herself before getting out of bed and chasing after her daughter "SAWYER" she yelled behind her with Leo attached to her arm, leaving Lucas and Ellie alone in the bedroom, Lucas laughed realising that his life was going to be this hectic and crazy for the rest of his life

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Whoa you look horrible" Brooke said moving the sunglasses off the top of her head as she stood at the front door of her friend's house, looking at the tired eyes of Haley James Scott, the messy set of wavy blonde hair and the frown on her face as she turned to the crying up the hallway looking as Nathan briefly walked by with a kid in his arms

"Well thank you Brooke that's what I want to hear" Haley said with a laugh as she out of instinct put her hand into her hair

"Forget about that, Are you guys ready to go?" Brooke asked with an excited smile as Haley looked on at her confused "And you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, we had a play date set up for the kids today? What's going on Tutor Mum, since when do you forget plans with me?"

"You know how a couple of months ago Lydia got the chicken pox and we thought we were so lucky and that it was such a fluke that the twins didn't get them?"

"Uh-oh"

"Well it may seem that my gorgeous twins are just late bloomers, very cranky, fussy, upset late bloomers that like to keep their parents up all night"

"Haley that sucks" Brooke said giving her friend a sympathetic smile and gripping her shoulder, she had remembered how much it had sucked when her twins had the chicken pox and how miserable they had been and all of a sudden this wacky idea came into her head and a smile plastered itself across her face "I've got an idea" Brooke said as Haley quirked her eyebrow, today was one of those days when the usually talkative woman wasn't much for words "Lydia and Jamie are going to come home with me so you can focus on the twins this weekend and then I get some quality time with my boy and girl" she said with this girly cheeky smile

"I don't know Brooke I don't want to lump them on you, Jamie is going over to Chuck's house tonight for the rest of the weekend to 'study' apparently and Lydia is pretty low maintenance so you don't even have to worry about it we'll all be fine"

"Haley, Sam just woke up" Nathan yelled up the hallway and Haley sighed, taking up the hall with Brooke trailing behind her, she patted the blonde sleepy hair of the girl in Nathan's arms as Haley picked up Sam in the portable cot that they had set up downstairs knowing full well that if they put them in their own beds upstairs that they would spend the whole day walking up and down the stairs.

"Poor babies" Brooke said with a frown still adamant that her idea was the bees knees "I still think that Lydia should come and stay with me and the boys, I mean my kids have already had the chicken pox in fact my kids gave your kid chicken pox. It'll be so much fun, the kids will have so much fun and you won't have to worry about Lydia at all" Haley looked from Brooke, down to the baby in her arms and then to her husband Nathan who gave her the why not look.

"Brooke that would be really great, I mean don't feel as though you have too and know that I can pick her up at any time if she is at all overwhelming"

"Don't be ridiculous, it's going to be great. You can pick her up on Sunday night at family dinner" Brooke said with a smile

"I don't want to spread the germs" Haley said with a smile

"Then we will drop her off on the way back, don't worry about a thing its all sorted, LYDI LOO" she said with a smile watching as the little girl ran over to her and got hoisted up onto her hip "Do you want to come for a sleepover?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Go easy on him" Peyton said with a laugh referring to Sawyer and Leo who were jumping all over her dad. She felt sorry for people that walked freely into their domain, they were used to the outgoingness of their children, the excessive noise, the jumping around but those who walked into the house were kind of ambushed by it all "So what is with this impromptu visit?" Peyton said sitting down on the couch next to him, picking up her boy and putting him on the floor

"What can't I visit my beautiful daughter and crazy grandchildren? Do I need a reason?" he asked with a smile as he turned to face Peyton

"No" she answered quickly "Well actually yes" she said with a laugh as he returned the favour

"You know me too well kid" Larry said as he moved closer to his daughter and throwing an arm over her shoulders "Can we go for a drive? Leave rake boy with the kids for a bit?" he asked with a smile

"Sure" Peyton said with a confused smile, this was unlike her dad, he didn't tend to cloud over things, he was usually all open and ready to communicate with her and now he was being all secretive, she just wanted to get to the bottom of the visit so that she could stop worrying about it and start enjoying it more than she already was.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Lydia yelled as she ran through the living room with her tutu on, her wand in the air and this massive smile on her face, Jude and Davis following behind her in the exact same outfits, Brooke sat laughing at the bench with an iced tea in her hand as her husband ran out in the exact same outfit after the three kids in tutu's and Brooke was gone in a hysterical laughing fit, he looked at her with his killer smile before chasing after them again. She recognised how lucky she truly was having her amazing husband by her side. Lydia Bob Scott had arrived around six hours ago and after one and half she was officially queen of all the Davis-Baker land, she had all of Brooke's boys hanging on her every word and action, so much for Lydia is low maintenance, Lydia was a fireball and a gorgeous little diva. Julian left the kids playing on the floor and walked over to his wife who he draped an arm over her.

"I hope you don't mind that I offered to babysit Lydia, I'm sorry for just springing it on you" Brooke said looking up at him and into his deep soulful eyes

"Are you kidding me Brooke Baker I love when Lydia comes over and hangs out with the boys"

"It's kind of cool having her here" Brooke said looking down in the hopes that he didn't see the tears in her eyes "having a little girl in the house, It reminds me of when Ruthie was around, god I miss Ruthie! I miss all my girls" she said as Julian put his other arm over her in a protective manner and holding onto her tighter before kissing the back of her head.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Come on Sammy, go to sleep baby" Haley said rocking him backwards and forwards smiling as she saw Isabella in her nappy and dummy running past, half her spots covered in calamine lotion and the others not with Nathan trailing behind with the bottle in his hand and a lot of it on his pants. "I see your having just as much trouble settling her down" she said with a smile

"This is crazy" Nathan said as he sat down on the edge of the couch and weirdly enough his baby daughter walked over to him and requested to be lifted up and sat on his knee

"Aren't you tired baby Iz?" Haley asked walking over to her husband and her daughter who shook her dummy sucking face at her mother's questioning, she probably didn't understand what her mum was talking about but she was perceptive enough to know what went where in the conversational world.

"I think you just got your answer" Nathan said with a laugh looking down at Isabella

"I have an idea" Haley said walking up the stairs, Nathan had been living and loving her for so many years that he knew that he was supposed to be following her even without formal invitation. He followed her to the bathroom where she was filling the tub with water and apparently calamine lotion. "I'm going to do this" she said putting Sammy in the tub and then lifting Izzy out of his arms "And you are going to make me something to eat" she said with a smile before looking down at Isabella and spinning her around.

"I'm thinking the food of gods" Nathan said with a smile as his wife put Isabella in the tub

"I think you are my god" she said stepping over to him and then up to her tip-toes to kiss him on his lips as he continued to smile.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"So what's going on with you?" Peyton asked as she took a sip from her takeaway cup of coffee as they sat on the bonnet of the comet outside of the house that she had called hers for so much of her life

"I need to talk to you about something" Larry said sighing as Peyton turned to him

"Just spit it out dad" she said with a laugh

"You know how much a loved your mum right?" Peyton gave him this 'dah' look and he nervously laughed "I loved your mum so much and when she died I never thought that I would be able to open my heart again because I had and lost the most amazing woman in my life, someone that had brought me so much joy and laughter and you. So when I lost her I decided that I was going to pour all my attention, love and devotion into raising you and into my work when I thought you needed me less. I didn't think about getting back out there and meeting women" Peyton cringed at that part, it was awkward to think about his dad with women like and when he brought that sort of stuff she felt as though she reverted back into her grossed out teenage self "But It's been a long time"

"Eww dad I don't need to know how long it has been" Peyton said looking at her dad a little outraged

"I meant that it has been a long time since I have opened my heart to anyone except for you and for Karen who is now related to me by marriage thanks for that"

"Very welcome" Peyton said with a smile

"You're older now, you have your own life and family and I am so proud of you. I'm ready now to open my heart up again and I guess that I sort of want your blessing"

"Dad are you asking me if you are allowed to go out on dates?"

"I guess that I sort of am" Larry asked looking at the house that he had all these memories with his daughter and of course with his gorgeous Anna "Not that I can ever forget your mother and I never ever will try to, she will always be the love of my life Peyton"

"Dad I know all that, and I think that you should do whatever makes you happy" she grabbed his arm and rested her chin on his shoulder "You've spent your whole life trying to make everyone else happy, mainly me. And you have done such an incredible job of that, I couldn't wish for anything else or anything more, so do me a favour, do something that is good for you okay? Something that will make you feel better" he looked out with a smile before kissing his daughter on the head.

"I'm really glad you said that" he said it taking in a deep breath as she looked up at him

"Larry Sawyer you sly devil have you got a girlfriend?" Peyton asked with a smile

"I kind of do, yeah, her name is Ava" Larry said as his cheeks reddened and his daughter laughed

"Well I can't wait to meet this woman who has gotten you to open up your heart again"

"Well I'm glad you said that too" Larry said as Peyton looked up at him with this sly smile

X-x-x-x-x-x

"_Hey Foxy" _the woman on the end of the phone said as Haley sat down on the end of the bed she shared with her husband

"Hey Peyt, how are you doing?" she said with a yawn and a smile, she had just got Sammy to sleep and she couldn't wait to put herself to sleep tonight either

"_I'm doing pretty good, all the kids are asleep and Lucas and dad are sitting out on the patio drinking beer" _Peyton said with a smile

"Wait your dads in town? That is so cool" Haley said watching the door and wondering when her drop dead gorgeous husband was going to grace her with his presence in their bed

"_Yeah he has come into town for a couple of days and you'll never guess what he told me this afternoon, Larry Sawyer, my dad Larry Sawyer has got a girlfriend"_

"Whoa, I was only radio silent for like a day and already so much has changed, I'm so out of the loop right now"

"_Well I will fill you all in on Sunday night when we are having our annual family dinner featuring my dad and his new girlfriend Ava"_

"speaking of Sunday" every single weekend on a Sunday night the families of Tree Hill would get together at a different house each week, just so that they could guarantee that they would all be able to catch at least once a week "I have also forgotten to tell you that Izzy and Sam have the chicken pox and I really don't want to spread it around, they are probably over the contagious stage but I just want to be extra careful"

"_All my kids have had it and all of Brooke's kids have had it, I think we're all good, so you better get your hot ass here for dinner tomorrow night so that you can help me with this whole parents dating thing" _

"Okay I will see what I can do" Haley said with a smile "Now I've been awake for about twenty four hours so I better hang up before I agree to something that I am going to regret in the morning" she laughed "Goodnight sister-in-law"

"_Night sister-in-law" _

"Who was that?" Nathan said walking into the room as Haley turned to face him

"It was just Peyton, so apparently Larry Sawyer has got a girlfriend and we are going to meet her tomorrow night. Now how did that go?" Haley asked clearly indicating to the nursery he just walked out of

"And Izzy would be out like a light and not itching" Nathan said with a smile as Haley jumped and hugged him before putting her fist out to initiate their cool we've been married for a very long time secret handshake of celebration which started in a fist bump and ended in a body slam.

"We kicked chicken pox ass" Haley exclaimed as she fell down onto the bed and climbed onto her side of the bed with Nathan soon following

"We calamine-d the crap out of those pox" he said as his wife broke into hysterical tired fits of giggles.

X-x-x-x-x-x

Dinner had started at six, Ava was a woman at the same walk of life as her father, she had this long luxurious brown hair and an infectious smile, she could see how happy Ava was making her father and that gave her this warm feeling. Now Peyton stood watching as the kids ran around and Ava played along with them, Ava didn't have any grandchildren of her own yet but was surely going to make a great one when it did finally happen for her.

"So do you like her?" Larry asked as he joined his daughter and her two best friends on the deck of their stunning home

"I love her Larry" Haley said with a smile that Larry automatically returned, it seemed that good old Larry Sawyer was pretty smitten with this woman of his.

"You really know how to pick them Larry" Brooke said with a smile as she stood up from her chair and began to walk away "But don't you fret you'll always be my hot dad fantasy" she said tapping him on the shoulder with a laugh as she walked back inside. Peyton stopped laughing when her dad looked to her, he was craving her approval, he just wanted to know how Peyton felt about all this for she was and always would be the most important thing in his life

"I think she is great dad" she said with a smile and it seemed as though by just looking at him she could see a huge weight being lifted off his shoulder.

To be continued

*Authors note* So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did or you didn't or you want something more from this story send me a review or a private message and let me know what I can do for you, I crave feedback and I would love some from you. This chapter has reference to some of my other Tree Hill stories that I have got going at the moment, in my recent chapter of 'When we were young'-a story about the next generation of Tree Hill teens, Lydia mentions the fact that Jude wore a tutu for her and of course if you have read 'Don't let me go'- the story where Brooke and Julian take in a foster child, you will get the Ruthie reference and its sort of a bit of a snippet or a hint that things with Ruthie didn't work out exactly how Brooke wanted them to go, It also hopefully will get you to start thinking about what happens with Ruthie because I will be updating that story soon. If you haven't read those stories please do, I would really appreciate it and I would love for you to guess what comes next in any of these stories especially Ruthie, let's just say that an angry dad comes into the picture.

Read, Enjoy, Review

Maggie Frost xxx


	4. Chapter 4

We Belong – chapter four

"Lily" he yelled as he banged on the door, attempting to get the teenagers attention over the incredibly loud music that seemed to be pulsing through their two bedroom home at an ungodly hour of the morning. It had been like this a lot lately, the black haired twelve year old holding herself hostage in her bedroom, only coming out to scavenge for food and ever so occasionally to use the bathroom. He wondered what in the world she could possibly find to do in that room other than listen to the incredibly loud and depressing music that she had borrowed from Peyton a week ago. "LILY" he yelled louder this time as his wife walked past and sighed, she had been through this all before apparently, not to the extent that was going on now and not with a girl but at least she had a basis, at least she had some indication in her mind of when this all would be over.

"That isn't going to work" Karen said with a sympathetic smile as she rested the washing basket on her hip, Andy stepped back and indicated that he would let her do the honours which she responded to by stepping forward, opening the door and sticking her head in "Come on Lil" she said in before stepping out and shutting the door, Andy still had no idea of what the reaction had been to her mother's request but assumed that it had been a positive outcome when the music was turned down. He sighed a deep breath of relief and headed towards the kitchen where he had set up breakfast for his girls, as he looked around the room he wondered how it was even possible that with his daughter in her bedroom pretty much constantly at the minute that all her stuff still seemed to be spread right across their small home. His wife kissed him on the cheek as he looked up the hallway to where twelve year old Lily Scott started to walk towards them from, her long black hair tied up in a ponytail wearing her dark blue tracksuit pants and her grey 'Keith Scott motors' hoodie, although he smiled at her she met his gaze but refused to return the smile.

"Hey Lil, do you reckon that you can return that crappy depressing music to Peyton anytime soon?" he asked with a laugh but as he got the death stare he grew silent grabbing his cup of coffee but continuing to keep an eye on her.

"Yes dad I will return the cd's" Karen said as she stepped behind Lily, putting her hands on her shoulders, Karen had never forced Lily to call Andy dad, in fact it had been just as shocking to her when Lily had called him that for the first time, but it made sense to her somehow that even though Andy wasn't her biological father, he had been there for every moment, every milestone in that girls life and he had certainly gained a deserving for that particular title.

"Yes dad I will return the cd's" Lily copied with a moan and a rolling of her eyes

"Eat something" he said standing up from the table to put his dirty plate in the sink "I made breakfast for you kiddo and breakfast is the most important meal of the day"

"Whatever" she moaned picking up a buttered piece of toast and making a move to leave

"Excuse me Lily I don't like your attitude" Andy said turning around, Karen had walked out of the room and into the laundry

"Well you don't have to like my attitude" she practically spat back, getting irrationally angry with every word from her own mouth and every word from her surrogate fathers mouth.

"You have been locked away in your room for like a week and we finally get you past that door and you're as rude as ever, I made you breakfast and I didn't even get a thank you" Andy responded as Karen walked back into the room with this startled look on her face that occurred when you walked into the middle of an argument and you had no idea what so ever was going on

"I didn't ask you to do that" Lily said looking at him with a very dead pan look

"And by the way kid maybe you could clean up some of the stuff that you've thrown around the room so haphazardly, we don't live in a pig sty and your mum and I aren't your servants"  
"You can't tell me what to do" she scoffed as both of her parents looked at her, she wasn't acting like the Lily Scott that they had raised for the past twelve years

"I actually think I can! You know being your father kind of gives me that right"

"You seem to be forgetting something" she said looking at him all head strong "You aren't my real father" she practically yelled the last part, and when the words were out there they couldn't be taken back, and right before her eyes she watched as tears formed in Andy's eyes and his heart broke, she looked to her mother who was clearly in a state of shock, frozen on the spot that she stood in, torn to whether she should be over comforting her husband or if she should be over with her daughter and as Lily's eyes watered she rushed to turn around and headed towards her confinement room

"LILY ROE SCOTT" Karen yelled up the hallway with this stern quiver in her tone as she turned from her still shocked husband to the slamming door up the hallway and the presence of loud music appearing throughout the house again. She walked over to where he stood, she wrapped her arms around his middle and tucked herself into his side, fitting just under his chin she leaned upwards and kissed his jaw line "I'm going to sort it out"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Haley answered the knocking front door, looking at eye level she saw nothing but the driveway of her home, confused she looked down and laughed finding the two twin boys standing at her feet looking up, she leant down and looked at them with a smile "Hey Boys"

"Hi Aunty Haley" Jude piped up with his ever so cheeky Baker boy smile as his twin brother Davis stood next to him, looking incredibly shy and soaking wet

"Where is your mum?" she asked Jude as she poked Davis in the tummy causing him to smile up at her

"Out of my way" Brooke said walking up towards the door carrying rolls of material and lots and lots of bags, forcing herself into the house and passed her best friend as her boys continued to stand in the doorway "Come on boys, Look alive, follow mama" she said as they quickly followed whilst Haley shut the front door, following the line of Bakers walking into her kitchen and dining room.

"Ah Brooke, not that I don't love your company but what are you doing here?" she asked as Brooke placed the material onto the table, turning to see the boys orbiting towards the television screen that played in the background of Haley's many daily tasks

"Davey don't sit on that couch until I get you some dry clothes" she yelled over to her son before turning back to her friend with a smile "Today Haley James Scott you are going to be part of a fashion revolution"

"Why is Davis wet?" Haley asked still stuck on the first subject more than the second one, figuring that Brooke's madness always contained means

"he jumped in a puddle" Brooke shrugged it off, it was just a regular day in her life and didn't faze her what-so-ever, Haley made a mental note to get Brooke out of the house more often, she was spending way too much time in the land of testosterone.

"Okay" Haley said with a laugh before turning to the opening of the back door that enabled her to hear the excessive giggles that came out of her wild daughter that sat swung over her father's shoulder.

"And here comes my model" Brooke said with a smile as she ushered Davis over and started to undress him, Haley smiled as Nathan kissed her on the lips before putting Lydia down on the ground

"Wait what? Model?" Haley asked turning back to Brooke as she knelt down in front of her boy

"Fashion revolution Haley, dah" Brooke said letting go of her freshly dressed boy who ran off into the distance with Lydia Scott at his side, soon to be joined by his brother.

"Are you ready to go dad?" Jamie asked as he rushed down the stairs in his bobcat's basketball jersey, Nathan had promised to take Jamie to the game leaving Haley at home with the other three kids for the night and Jamie was ecstatic.

"Let's go Jimmy Jam" Nathan said with a smile, laughing at how excited his son was about the promise he had made "Okay Sexy, I'm going to go"

"That's lovely Nathan, and it's not that I don't appreciate it but shouldn't you say goodbye to your wife first?" Brooke said with a laugh as she began spreading out the material and grabbing her favourite scissors from her handbag

"Love you babe" Haley said after letting out a laugh and kissing her husband on the lips, as he went over to say goodbye to their bouncy brunette daughter Haley latched onto her tall son "Have a great time buddy" she said kissing his cheek as Brooke opened her arms letting Jamie know that she was expecting the exact same treatment once he was done saying goodbye to his mum, that was just the deal.

"Oh Lydia" she said in a cheeky voice as the boys walked out of the house "Would you like to try on some pretty dresses my darling?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"So what do you want to do today Sawy-berry?" Lucas asked as he turned to make sure that the little girl in the back of the car had done her seatbelt up properly, her little gorgeous face smiling up at him. Lucas had decided to take their eldest daughter out for the day for some quality one on one time "We could go to the river court or maybe go to the beach, maybe even get a sneaky ice cream" he added with a cheeky wink back to his daughter who smiled widely at him

"Ice cream please daddy" she said as he turned on the ignition with a laugh and made his way out of their driveway. Sawyer was a little daddy's girl, following him around wherever he went, wanting to do everything that he did, sometimes Peyton would walk into the room to where she left Lucas and Sawyer and she would find them in the exact same position, once she had found Leo, Sawyer and Lucas were all pulling the same move as she walked into the room because Leo Scott was completely smitten with his big, crazy sister.

"Let's go then Kidlett" he said turning up the radio which she promptly sang along loudly too, he was halfway up the road his mobile began to ring, turning on his hands free mobile "This is Lucas"

"_Luke honey it's your mum" _Karen said smiling into the phone hearing her granddaughter singing in the back seat oblivious to the fact that her father was in the middle of a phone call

"Hey mum, what's going on?" he asked noticing the tenseness in her tone

"_Could you please come over to the house?" _she asked, feeling this stabbing pain in her heart, incredibly upset throughout this whole situation, she could see Andy in the living room just sitting down in this dark silence, well as silent as it could be in the house filled with Lily's loud music.

"Well Sawyer and I are just heading to get an ice cream, aren't we kiddo?" he asked as he turned back to a nodding Sawyer "Maybe we can drop past on the way home?"

"_No Luke I need you now" _she said with such desperation in her tone

"What is going on?" he asked slightly more concerned now than he had been before

"_It's Lily, I need you to come and talk to her for me, it's happened Luke. You promised me that if this day ever came that you would come and talk to her because I just don't know what to say to her Luke, Please"_

"Yeah mum I'm on my way" he said immediately turning the car around in the direction of his old house

"_I love you Luke" _she said with a sigh of relief

"Love you too mum" he said hanging up the phone and turning around to his curious daughter who looked up at him with her big sensitive Peyton Sawyer eyes, despite them being the exact carbon copy of his wife's eyes they didn't hold that pain that had lived in his Peyton's eyes "Hey Sawy, how about we see Nanny Karen and GrAndy"

X-x-x-x-x-x

He opened the front door to his old home; it always made him smile walking in that front door. Andy was sitting on the couch and Karen was up the hallway "Hey Andy where is mum?" he said as Sawyer ran past his legs and onto the couch next to him

"GRANDY" Sawyer squealed with delight, wrapping her arms around him. The name was the combination of Grandpa and Andy that Sawyer had accidently said one day which just happened to stick

"Lucas" Karen said practically bounding down the hallway; she wrapped her arms around her son as she approached him

"I'm assuming that Lily is in the direction of the loud music" he said with a smile as his mum turned to walk him up the hallway whispering the scenario into his ear as they reached the bedroom door "Are you two okay to watch Sawyer? I can call Peyton and get her to pick her up"

"She is fine, plus I think Andy needs some Sawyer Scott affection to brighten up his day" Karen said with a smile directed towards the small laugh in the living room. Lucas knocked on his sister's bedroom door, she didn't respond and he figured that he was just going to break in and deal with the ramifications later. His twelve year old sister sat on her double bed in the room that he used to call his, it was a lot more feminine than it used to be, and her eyes were puffy as she looked up at him

"Lily Scott what am I going to do with you?" he asked shutting the bedroom door and walking towards her as he attempted to sit down next to her

"I'm not going to apologise" she said with a sniff

"I didn't say you had to" he said throwing an arm over her shoulder, she succumbed to the comforting and threw her head onto his shoulder "What's up girly?"

"I know that I upset dad but it's not like I wasn't telling the truth" she said as he felt his shirt getting wetter under where her head sat "Luke" she said looking up to him, her bottom lip trembling "I'm so confused" Lucas touched his hand to her cheek in an attempt to wipe away her tears "What did I do so wrong? Why don't I get a dad?" she sobbed as she threw her head back into his embrace

"Hey Kiddo" he said with the pure loving softness in his voice, wanting so desperately to take away her pain but he had no way of doing that "You didn't do anything wrong, I know full well that your dad would have absolutely adored you and that it sucks ass that he was taken away from us, away from you but while you didn't get to know him and be adored by him doesn't mean you don't have a dad, dads come into your life in a number of different ways. Sometimes a dad is just the guy that has been holding you since you were a baby, been there for you for as long as you remember, loves you unconditionally and always will" he smiled as she looked up at him "Do you know how I know this?" he asked and while he knew that she knew the answer he was going to tell her anyway "Because it was Keith, your dad who taught me the true meaning of the word dad."

"I feel like if I love Andy like he is my dad that I am disowning my real dad, what if I forget him" she looked up with her big eyes

"Your dad would be happy that you had Andy. That someone is taken care of you and mum when he knows that he can't. It's impossible to forget Keith Scott especially when he gave you these" he said moving his hands and placing them near her eyes and she at last smiled for him "I have an idea" he said jumping off the bed and heading towards the door that had been his front door when he had occupied this room

"Lucas, it's raining" she said looking up at him, this smile on her face nearly hiding her big red puffy eyes

"Grab a coat you dork" he winked as he opened the door.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"You excited?" Nathan laughed knowing full well what the answer would be as he looked on at his constantly fidgeting twelve year old son who hadn't stopped smiling since at least when they drove out of their driveway

"It's going to be great dad, I'm going to remember this day forever" he said with such excitement and such glee as his dad laughed next to him

"Did I ever tell you about the time that your Uncle Lucas and I drove up to watch the basketball?" he asked as his son turned to him all ready for a story "It was in the car that I did up with Keith after your mum and I got married, it was horrible. We didn't check the tape deck; yes that is how old it was. Anyway Luke was going to put in some mix or tape and it turned out that this stupid tape was stuck in there"

"Really?" Jamie asked with a laugh as Nathan turned and nodded in his direction

"I remember telling Luke off for not checking the tape deck before we left and both of us complaining the whole way to the game"

"What did you do?"

"Suffered through it or sat in silence, on the way home we just sang along" Nathan said with a smile as he remembered that weekend

"Do you reckon that if we found that old car that tape would still be in it?" Jamie asked

"Nah that came out when Chris Keller's head hit the dashboard really hard" he said with a loud sharp laugh "That's a story for another day"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"What are we doing here Lucas?" she said looking out the car window, past the rain that fell outside and the stone that she knew incredibly well but refused to visit

"Just come with me kid" he said with a sympathetic smile as he jumped out of the car, grabbing her hand as she stepped out and walking up the grass stopping in front of the small stone and he smiled "Hey Keith it's Lucas" he grabbed Lily's hand tighter "I know that I don't usually visit you till Sunday but I have someone here to talk to you, I think she needs a bit of a Keith Scott loving" he said looking to his sister and kissing her on the head "I'm going to leave you alone for a bit"

"Where are you going?" she asked almost as though she was frightened, like the times that she had wanted him to leave the door open because she was afraid of the darkness

"I'm just going to go visit Quentin, give you two sometime alone" he smiled before placing a hand on Keith's gravestone "I'll see you later Keith"

"Hi dad it's Lily" she gulped deeply, wiping away a mixture of tears and rain drops "I haven't visited you in a while, not like this at all, mum or Luke sometimes even Peyton always come with me so this just seems strange. But I suppose that I am talking to a rock so I'm a bit strange too. I really hope you can hear me, I need you to hear me, I kind of need someone to talk to, I'm just really confused dad" she felt herself crying again "It just isn't fair" she said throwing herself down in front of the grave despite the muddy surface "Everyone in this town seemed to have gotten the chance to know you, they are always complimenting you and saying how truly fantastic and lovely you were but that to me means nothing, it just makes me sad and jealous because well I may get to hear the stories but I will never get to experience the stuff that they are talking about even though you are my dad. My dad, It's weird, I never got to meet you but I can't stop missing you, does that sound crazy" she said with a small laugh, throwing her head to the side she spotted her 'uncle' Dan Scott's massive head stone and all of a sudden this surge of anger flew through her, she was at her feet picking up a nearby shovel, swiftly hitting the stone several times before it slipped out of her hands so in a heap of hysterical tears she lashed out at it with her hands and her feet "Why did you take him away from me?" she screamed and all of a sudden she felt arms around her, gripping at her arms to try and calm her or soothe her but she wasn't interested, she fought his grasp, leaning back against him to continue to kick at the grave but he wasn't letting go, he just held her in this tight warm embrace which she eventually succumbed into as she sobbed "Luke" she managed to sob as she out of pure exhaustion went limp in his arms, her brother leaning in and kissing the back of her head

"You're okay Lil, it's okay" he repeated as they stood in the rain, both covered in mud

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Davis you have to stay still baby" she said between her teeth with a sewing needle between her teeth as he stood on Haley and Nathan's dining room table, the two other four year olds Lydia and Jude sat incredibly bored on the floor, Brooke had instructed them not to move, not to crease and not to stain the little outfits that she had spent hours and hours designing and hours and hours making that day. Haley sat on top of the table next to Davis sipping from her glass of water and smiling as she looked down at Lydia and Jude who were slowly moving backwards away from Brooke every time she turned to face Davis again.

"Mama" Lydia whinged putting her head on her hands that leant on her crossed legs

"Yes girly Scott" Haley responded as she looked down at the little girl

"I'm hungry" she sighed as Haley uncrossed her legs and jumped off the table, as she stepped past Lydia and Jude they quickly stood up and chased after her

"Nothing that can leave a stain" Brooke yelled over the top of them as Jude let out a moan "Fashion is pain baby" she joked as Haley passed the kids teddy bear biscuits before walking over to where Davis stood, passing him and his mum one each

"I don't think that will leave a stain" Haley joked as Brooke lifted her little man off the table

"Do you have any black thread?" she asked thumbing through her sewing box as Jude, Davis and Lydia tried to reach the box of biscuits that sat on the bench

"I should have some" Haley said walking away and up the hallway with Brooke following close behind "We'll be back in a second kids"

They were gone for literally two minutes but as they walked back into the room, the packet of teddy bear biscuits was gone from the bench and a cold gust of wind indicated that the back door was open, Brooke looked at Haley and they both shared this glimpse of horror, both incredibly protective of their children, both having seen horrible things happen in this town they sped up their pace and walked out the doors. As they looked out onto the backyard Haley swore that Brooke was going to have a heart attack, the kids were standing in the grassy area of the backyard, in the rain, laughing their little hearts out as they played with and threw around mud. Brooke ran out into the rain with Haley soon following behind listening to the chorus of 'No, no, no, no, no'. The kids turned to face their parents with this look that asked 'what did we do wrong?" as Brooke looked at them with this look of fury "I've been working on these all day" Brooke fumed, not at the kids but at herself

"I'm so sorry Brooke" Haley said putting her hand on Brooke's shirt not realising that when Lydia had touched her hand a minute ago that she had covered her mums hand in mud too "Oh" Haley said withdrawing her hand "Oh I am so sorry" Haley said trying to conceal a laugh as Brooke turned her head as far as she could to see the stain

"Haley James Scott" she said with this stern look on her face "You are so dead" her face turning into a smile as she leant down and picked up a massive handful of mud that she pelted towards Haley who started to run forwards, Brooke followed her but slipped just before reaching her, Haley attempted to catch her but on the force of impact they both fell down into the mud and into a pile of manic laughter.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Hi" she said as she shut the door behind her back, she was too scared to move but his kind eyes looked towards her. Lily and Lucas had returned from the cemetery and she had headed straight back into her bedroom after having a shower, Lucas had walked into the kitchen to find Sawyer and her GrAndy having a tea party. Her big brother had told Karen and Andy where they had been and that he had had a conversation with his baby sister, he let them know that she just needed to cool down before leaving with Sawyer at his side on a mission for ice-cream because the little girl had been so good. Now she was ready to face this, ready to talk to him

"Hey" he said looking up at her from his position on the couch; he didn't want to push it

"I'm really sorry daddy" she said before beginning to sob again, he patted the spot next to him

"Come here gorgeous girl" he looked up to her with pleading eyes, she rushed over to him and crawled into his side as he threw an arm over her and kissed the top of her head

"I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it"

"It's okay baby girl" he said with a smile as he held onto her, oblivious to the fact that his wife was standing up the hallway watching on with a smile.

To be continued 


	5. Chapter 5

We Belong – chapter five 

He dreamt of two teams, one composed of chocolate bars and toaster pastries, the other made of carrots and sticks of celery duelling each other in the most notorious dance off in the country. He, Logan Evans was in charge of judging the performance of both teams and let's just say that it was going to be a tough one, if he judged wrong or was seen to be favouring one of the teams a riot could break out and as mayor of 'Sugarville' he couldn't be letting that happen. So far what he could say was that the sugar-iest citizens of Sugarville sure had their alluring looks to help them woo not only him as a judge but the crowd that surrounded, although he did notice the intense energy shown by the out of towners also known as the imports from Grocer's island. As the carrot did the splits Logan knew that he had to stand up from his comfortable position on his throne made of marshmallows and walked over to the podium where the crowd looked eagerly on at him. "Amazing effort guys, you were all incredible" he started "Obviously there can only be one winner of this event tonight and while it was a hard decision it was one that had to be made" he gulped as he looked down at the large crowd hoping that nothing drastic would occur as a result as he looked up and opened his mouth to reveal the results a booming voice appeared at the back of the room "Wolverine" Logan looked down at the crowd who didn't move their eyes from him at all

"Did anyone else hear that?" he asked looking behind him as the crowd in front of him began to squirm

"Come on buddy it's time to wake up" Clay said with a smile as he looked down at his son who was lying asleep in the bed in front of him, one hand behind his head and one on his stomach as he squinted his eyes shut. Clay nudged him

"Just let me give them the trophy count chocula" he mumbled as his dad looked down at him with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk

"What?" he asked loud enough that Logan's eyes sprang open to look up at his dad

"Dad" he said as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes "What are you doing in here?"

"Scoot over kid" he said with a laugh "I have to catch a plane in an hour" Clay said as his son squinted up at him before moving over on his bed allowing Clay to sit on the bed with him

"Where are you going?" he asked, knowing that his dad had probably told him around ten times but at this time in the morning when his reality was still in 'Sugarville' it was hard to comprehend and focus upon previous information

"Got to go find me some sporting stars" he said looking down at his son who was currently using his chest as a pillow "It's going to find someone better than you kid" Logan looked up at him with a smile "I'll be back in a couple of days, so it's just going to be you Quinney and Milo"

"Cool" Logan said in an incredibly excited tone

"How you hurt me kid" Clay said with a laugh "You could at least pretend that you're going to miss me just a little bit"

"You told me that it wasn't okay to lie" he said with his cheeky smile as his dad looked down at him and tickled him, Clay laughing just as hard as he listened to the manic giggles. The truth was Logan loved his dad like crazy but Logan loved it when his dad went out of town because when his dad goes away he and his mum would watch movies in bed, walk on the beach and take as many funny pictures as they could on her very expensive cameras, and this time Milo was going to be there too. His baby brother was nearly two months old now, he was pretty cute other than when he cried or threw up but Logan kind of liked him at this age, he knew that you were supposed to be excited about your siblings getting older so that you could have more fun with them but Logan had watched as his cousins got older, Lydia Scott used to always crawl around and steal not only her brothers toys but his as well and that sucked because you couldn't take toys back off a baby or they would cry at you and then you would get in trouble even though they stole the toys in the first place. Eventually his dad stopped tickling him, hugged him goodbye, told him that he was man of the house while he was gone he had to take care of his mum and his baby brother. Logan had promised that he would and then watched his father walk out the door before breaking into a massive smile and bolting up the hallway to start off the day as they always did in his house. When Logan would wake up in the morning he would go up the hallway to his mum and dads bedroom, jump into bed with them and after they all eventually woke up and got out of that delirious giggling session they would hash out their days, making adjustments so that they were guaranteed family time, this had been happening since he first moved in with his dad and mum Quinn, it had continued when his brother was born, usually Milo was still asleep or he would be in the bed as well but occasionally only one of his parents would still be in bed while the other disappeared, Logan didn't really know where they were or what they were doing but he assumed it had something to do with Milo.

He ran into the room with a smile and jumped into the bed, he saw a lump under the duvet cover and he threw his body weight onto what he assumed was his mother's torso, to his shock he belly flopped onto the top of the mattress making an indent of himself in the duvet, he pulled the blanket back to check out what was happening he realised that his mum wasn't actually in her bed. Logan jumped out of the bed and cautiously walked up the hallway wondering if it was at all possible that his mum had been abducted by aliens. But he knew exactly where to look for his mother and so did his feet because without a second thought they walked him to his brother's nursery where Quinn sat in a rocking chair looking down and cooing at the baby in her arms. Logan remained calm as he quietly slid out of the doorway and onto the wall, he could still hear Quinn talking. Logan gulped and tried to hold back the tears that came with the feeling of being replaced, soon realising that the next couple of days wasn't going to be the same as it usually was.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Mum" she coarsely whispered rather loudly in Peyton's ear as she lay flat on her stomach on top of Peyton's right arm, when her mum failed to respond to her she decided to increase her volume and try her luck "MUM" the impatient girl with the smile said as she stood up on the bed and began to bounce up and down repeating

"If you break that box spring you'll be sleeping on the floor" came a mumble from her sleeping mother "What are you doing kid?" asked Peyton with one eye open as her daughter sat down on her stomach

"I'm waking you up mama" Sawyer said with her wide gorgeous smile that was hardly ever wiped off her face, you knew that something was seriously wrong if Sawyer Scott wasn't smiling

"_Is she alive Sawy?" _a male voice asked on the other side of the phone that Peyton hadn't noticed until that moment, the phone that Sawyer had pressed to her ear

"She's moving" Sawyer responded as she looked down intently at her mum

"Who are you talking to?" Peyton asked putting her elbows underneath her to hold herself up the best she could with her eldest daughter sitting on her stomach

"Its daddy" Sawyer said with a whole other smile that she had on reservation for Lucas and he certainly wasn't complaining about it

"What does he want?" Peyton asked as she collapsed back onto the pillow and shut her eyes

"He wants to know what you're wearing." Sawyer repeated with a puzzled look as her mum sat up with a laugh and putting her hand out as an indicator for Sawyer to hand the phone over "Okay daddy I've gotta go, member to get me lots and lots of presents"

"Lucas Eugene Scott did you really just ask your daughter to say that to me?" Peyton said with a laugh as she lay back down on the bed and turned onto her side, smiling as she watched Sawyer skip out of the room only turning around to stick her tongue out before walking out of the room

"_I'm a horrible, horrible father" _

"So horrible" Peyton said with a laugh, she couldn't imagine her life without her loving husband and the loving life that they had created for themselves "Where are you Luke?" she asked as she twirled her wedding band

"Somewhere between the last book signing location and the next, my publisher says we are well on the way to SUCCESS" he exaggerated with a sigh

"When are you coming home to me?" she asked with almost a sulk, he had been gone for four days now leaving Peyton alone with all three kids. It wasn't like he had left her in the lurch, Karen had been around every single day offering to do whatever she could to help Peyton out, sometimes taking a kid out for the day in fact the day before Peyton had the day alone with Ellie because Leo and Sawyer were having Nanny Karen, GrAndy and Lily time. It was just that she missed her husband, the warmth in her bed, the usual provider of her laughs and smiles although her kids were doing a pretty good job of filling the void as well.

"_Hopefully soon, I currently trying to talk Phil out of adding more stops to our tour"_

"NO" Peyton said louder than she expected as she sat upright "Tell Philly boy that if he does that he will have to start watching his back and I promise that I will follow through"

Lucas laughed "_Man I miss you Peyton Sawyer_"

"It's Peyton Sawyer Scott to you Mr" she said with a smile "I miss you Luke, the kids miss you, Wellington misses you…"

"_Wait who is Wellington?"_ Lucas interrupted as he put a hand behind his head

"Wait for it, Wellington is our baby Sawyer's imaginary friend; he sleeps in the freezer and likes to take trips to the supermarket with me but is scared of the produce section because well his parents were killed in a freak asparagus accident"

"_Our kid is weird isn't she?" _Lucas asked with a laugh as his wife did the same

"We prefer the term spirited"

"_Well I love you and my spirited kids but babe I've got to go. Phil is at my door"_

"You tell that Phil that I want you back in my bed by weeks end please"

"_I'll try Peyt. Love you"_

"Right back at you Mr Scott. And remember to bring me lots and lots of presents" she smiled, even though they had been married for what seemed like a whole lifetime, actually it was if you considered the lifetimes of their three children, she still got giddy at the title of Mr and Mrs Scott and she still got giddy with the sound of her husband's voice. She hung up the phone and clutched it to her chest and smiled before turning startled to the noise of music downstairs, panic set in as she hoped and prayed that her other two children wouldn't wake up to the noise "SAWYER" she yelled as she jumped off the bed and ran out of her bedroom in the direction of her daughter.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Good morning Logie Bear" Quinn said as she walked into the kitchen with Milo in her arms

"Morning" he mumbled as he looked down at his bowl of cereal as though it was changing colours, he turned his head to take a glimpse at what she was going to do now, he watched as she put Milo in the rocker on the bench a little bit away from him, she then looked towards him and smiled but he turned his gaze away

"You feeling okay buddy?" Quinn asked as she walked across and sat down next to him but he still refused to look at her

"I'm fine"

"Ah I know what it is" Quinn said with a smile "You're sad that your dad had to go away for work"

"Yeah that's what it is" he said as he took a spoonful of his cereal

"Well honey he will be back before you know it and you know what" she said wrapping an arm over the boy who now couldn't help but smile "We are going to have so much fun, you and me that you are hardly going to notice that your dad is away"

"Really?" he said looking towards her with the biggest smile that he had stored away

"Most definitely kid" she said hugging him tighter before letting him go "So what do you want to do with the day buddy?"

"How about we go to the beach?" he asked before letting out a rather large sigh as his brother started to squirm and let out a cry

"Oh baby boy" Quinn said standing up to head in the direction of her other son

"Don't even worry about it" Logan said jumping down from the bench seat and stomping up the hallway before slamming his door, leaving Quinn staring dumb founded at the door with a crying baby in her arms

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Logan" she said knocking on the closed bedroom door, she had put Milo down for a nap as quickly as she could so that she could go and check on her other boy but she also figured that from the look on his face when Logan walked out of the kitchen and the massive slam of the door that the boy that was still as little as the day she had met him had made was a clear indication that she needed to give him some time to chill out and calm down "Loooooooggie I have a toaster pastry with your name on it" she tried again

"No thanks" came a muffled voice from the other side of the door and she found herself smiling at her son's stubbornness, she opened the door anyway

"Excuse me Logan Evans but you know the punishment for wasting toaster pastries" she said with a laugh, usually they would share a smile and he would dig into the warm treat "Don't make me ground you" she said slowly becoming more concerned as she looked around the room and realised what he had been doing for the past hour "What's going on?" Quinn asked looking towards the bed where Logan stood folding his clothes and placing them into the suitcase that had been in his cupboard since they went on holidays

"I'm moving out" he said it with such seriousness as Quinn sharply inhaled, she put the plate down on a chest of drawers and stepped towards the bed and sat down

"And why are you moving out?" she said putting her hand down on top of the bag so he had to look up at her

"It was fun while it lasted but I think it is time to go and live with Grandpa Sam and Grandma Lil. I think that's what is best" Quinn was looking at his very serious face whilst trying to keep a poker face of her own. She remembered herself when she had ran away from home well attempted to anyway, her mum hadn't laughed at her even though she probably had wanted too, she had kept a very calm face, sat down to her and talked to her as though she was an adult, never not once telling her that she was silly or that she couldn't do it

"Has something happened?" she asked

"You have your Milo now, you don't need me anymore. I'll just let dad and you and Milo be a family together" Quinn looked at him startled, somehow she just couldn't find words

"Log"

"Don't try and talk me out of it, I'm moving out and that's that" Logan looked down at his bag 'that's that' was Clay's parenting catch phrase and somehow it had become a whole family thing

"Okay" she said putting her hand on top of his after a moment of consideration, he looked at her and she smiled "if you are really serious about moving out" she gulped still trying to come up with some way to deal with this "first we have to go to Aunt Haley's okay?" he looked up at her with his gorgeous eyes which from pictures she could identify came from his mother Sara, he wasn't quite convinced "And then if you want me to, I'll help you pack the boxes"

"Okay" he nodded; he was kind of hoping that she would have put up more of a fight to keep him

"Okay" she said with a smile knowing full well that she had brought herself some more time, behind her smile was a hope that her sister Haley would have some clue of what to do in this situation "get changed out of your pyjamas and I'll meet you in ten minutes in the kitchen" she said standing up from the bed and walking out the door, she pressed her body against the door and attempted not to break down in tears, but she couldn't do that yet. Instead she walked up the hallway to gather up baby Milo, stopped by the sudden ringing of her mobile phone "Hello this is Quinn"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Haley it's not funny, in fact it is very incredibly serious you didn't see his face" Quinn said after she finished telling her little sister and Peyton who now sat on the kitchen bench rocking Milo in her arms what had happened this morning as the other kids played in the backyard in Haley's line of vision

"I know honey, I'm sorry, it's really not funny I was just remembering that time that you tried to run away from home, now that was funny. I can't for the life of me remember why you did it? I just remember you storming into our bedroom and throwing everything into bags before mum came in and made me leave"

"It was Taylor's fault!" Quinn said all of a sudden morphing into her

"Apparently is still a touchy subject" Haley said with a laugh as she crossed her legs and leaned back on the bench

"I can't help thinking about how cool and calm mum was when that happened, how she seemed to have a plan straight away. Am I a horrible mother for not being able to think up a plan instantly?"

"Jamie ran away once, well not really ran away but one day I was driving home from red bedroom and I found him walking the streets because I had thrown out the card that he wanted me to give to Dan"

"I remember that day" Peyton piped in "We threw a water balloon at Dan" she smirked

"I didn't know what I was doing and I'm sure that mum didn't know what she was doing the first time a kid of hers tried to run away, we were the last of the batch. What I'm trying to say is parenting is about experiencing, the way that one person deals with a kid crisis isn't going to the same as another and that's good because the same stuff isn't going to work on every kid"

"You're supposed to be helping me find a solution not telling me there isn't one" with a combination of sulking and laughing

"Trust your instincts Quinney" she said holding her hand out to her big sister "But I will do anything that I can to help. What brought this on anyway?"

"I'm not even sure" she said as she looked out the window to where her son was playing happily with his cousins "It was really odd, he said 'I'll just let dad and you and Milo be a family together'" she repeated even though the words stung at her throat

"Ahh" Peyton and Haley said looking at each other with a smile

"What?" Quinn asked looking at them full of curiosity and confusion "Come on you guys tell me" she whinged

"Is this the first time that Clay has left you alone with Logan since Milo has been born?" Haley asked

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Quinn asked not getting the point

"When Leo was born and people used to fuss over him Sawyer would take all of her clothes off, seriously one item at a time until someone paid attention to her. She didn't care where we were; in fact she loved it the most when we were in public"

"I still don't know what this has to do with my situation with Logan"

"It is classic sibling rivalry, think about it. Every other time Clay leaves town you and Logan have bunkered down, you spoil him rotten and spend every waking moment together. And then…."

"And then Milo came along and now it is the three of us spending the Quinn and Logan time together. But I don't get it Milo is two months old, I've been sleep deprived and distracted for two months, why is this only happening now?"

"Because when you can't be there to fawn over Logan Clay is there in a heartbeat to do the same" Haley said with a smile "You and Clay have done such a great job with him, you have loved him with so much of your hearts that he hasn't had a chance to notice that you've been distracted"

"I shouldn't have been so distracted" Quinn said putting her hand on her head

"You had every reason to be distracted, you've just had a baby, and a very cute baby at that" Peyton said directing her gaze at the baby sleeping in her arms

"Ah" she grunted in frustration "What am I going to do? How am I going to do this?"

"You aren't telling me something" Haley said looking intently at his sister, she had been reading her facial expressions forever and she knew what they all represented

"I got a call a couple of weeks ago about a shoot in New York, Clay and I discussed it and we've decided that I was going to take it. Clay has to stay in Tree Hill for work so he was going to have some guy time with Logan and I was going to take Milo with me. I'm supposed to leave in two days we were going to sit down and tell Logan today but of course fate got in the way and sent Clay to work, so we agreed that we would tell him when Clay gets home but if Logan is feeling the way he is right now, if it truly is sibling rivalry, is it really a good idea for me to fly away with only one of my boys?"

"See I can't answer that because I have ulterior motives, I want my sister close to me at all times but what I can tell you is that you need to talk to Logan and you need to re-evaluate with Clay when he gets home. And you are going to do part one of the plan tomorrow while I baby sit my gorgeous baby nephew Milo"

"Oh I love you" Quinn said latching at her side and wrapping her arms around her neck.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"_Hello gorgeous"_ his voice beckoned her from his end of the phone; he lay on his hotel bed with his arms behind his head, this was the part of his day that he was most looking forward too. It was great getting to meet all the people who had been reading his books, getting to see their excitement and being excited himself but he was missing his home and his family, this was the most extended period of time that he had spent away from them all.

"Hey honey" she smiled as she lay on her side in bed, putting a finger up to her lips indicating that her guests should be quiet "Guess who I am sleeping with tonight, oh and get that dirty smirk off your face that fantasy of yours isn't going to play out"

"_I have a feeling that I'm really going to get jealous_" he sighed, smiling up at the roof

"Hey Daddy" she exclaimed with this exaggerated amount of glee

"_Aww man Sawyer is there with you? You're having snuggle time without me?"_

"Wait" Peyton said interrupting her husband as she passed the phone over to the little boy with the black hair

"hi daddy" he said in his little munchkin voice, his face all lit up was something that Peyton loved to see although that look sort of indicated that it was going to be hard to get him to sleep tonight, she reached out her hand as Sawyer helped her brother pass the phone back to her with Lucas still on speaker phone

"_AND LEO?"_ Lucas asked with this outrage and insane jealousy, Peyton held the phone out close to herself and the child that lay on top of her

"Wait, wait, wait" she said again and Lucas let out a laugh she then began to whisper "say hi to daddy baby, can you say dada?"

"Dada" she said in a whisper towards the phone before moving her head to the other side of her mother's chest

"Ellie too, all my people are there, I'm so envious. I want to be home snuggling in bed with you guys instead of this sh…"

"LUKE" she yelled predicting his next word and noticing their audience with their tendency to copy every single word said in their home

"Bad. I'm in a bad hotel room in this bad bed and all I want is to be there with my people"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Quinn sat at the kitchen bench with Logan on her other side, she read the newspaper as she read the newspaper and he read his comic book. Well she was pretending to be reading the newspaper, instead she sat fretting about how her plan was going to carry out, and she was just waiting for her sister to show up so that it all could be initiated. And then it happened Haley bounced into the front door and into eyesight, her smiley face and her bright doe eyes popped out around the corner and they both smiled massively.

"Hey Logan" she beamed as she walked into the room

"Hello Aunt Haley" Logan said putting down his comic book and grinning up at her as she hugged him

"Hey Hales" said Quinn as she started getting nervous and excited all at the same time

"Oh hi Quinney" Haley pretended not to notice that she was there at all "Anyway Logan I'm here for you, Jamie, Lydia and I were going to go for a walk on the beach and we thought that maybe you would like to come with us?" she put on a convincing yet pleading smile as Logan looked to Quinn

"Can I mum?"

"Of course you can buddy" Quinn said with a smile as he jumped off the seat and excitedly ran towards the door before turning around and running back to Quinn and hugging her "Thankyou Haley"

"No worries sis, do your thing" she said before walking out the front door, Quinn waited for the door to shut before picking up her pace to get the plan underway.

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton was alerted to the presence of someone else in her big bed when she felt the pressure on the bed, she thought to herself 'Wow, will I wake up on my own accord anytime in the near future' it seemed like every day was a new awakening, not that she really minded other than when it was incredibly early in the morning. At least now she had the element of surprise on her bed guest, who she could only assume was her eldest child who would be assuming that her mum was still asleep and probably plotting some new obscure way of waking her up. So Peyton quietly opened her eyed, trying hard not to move too much before throwing her body in a turning motion so that she was facing the girl on the other side of her yelling "AHA CAUGHT YOU" but as she landed back down on the bed she realised that unless Sawyer had grown dramatically over night that it definitely wasn't her "OH MY GOD LUCAS" she said with this look that turned from realisation to excitement as she jumped towards him and held him tightly as he laughed.

"Hey gorgeous" she said hugging her back as tightly as he could, it was nice just to be in each other's arms after their time apart

"What are you doing here?" Peyton said releasing him and hoping hard that her bed hair wasn't as bad as it usually was in the mornings

"Well actually Peyton, this is my bed" he said with this mockery as she gave him an icy look that let him know that he needed to tell her what was actually going on "I was sick of being away from home, my hand hurts" she smirked "from signing books and you want to know the truth?" she nodded "I missed Wellington"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Quinn saw Haley and the kids walking towards the house, she grabbed Milo and his bassinet and headed towards the front of the house. Quinn opened the front door as they made it up the top of their beach homes stairs that may become a hindrance when Milo started to crawl. "How was the walk?" she asked with a smile as Logan looked from up at his mum to down in her arms and then his face turned into a sort of confused scowl

"Where are you going?" he asked with his vulnerable Sara eyes

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here with you and Milo is going to hang out with Aunt Haley. Is that okay?"

"Yeah" he said trying hard to hide that little glimmer of a smile that appeared on his face because it seemed as though today was going to be the day that he finally got to spend some alone time with his mum.

"Come to me bubba" Haley said outstretching her hand and grasping the handle of the bassinet "You guys have fun" she said with a wink towards her big sister

"Okay are you ready?" Quinn asked turning around and putting her hands on Logan's shoulders before he nodded and they walked into the house. As they walked into the living room Logan's jaw dropped to the floor before he turned to face his smiling mama

"Is that a fort?" he asked indicating to the expertly placed pillows and blankets that crowded the usually quite clear living room

"It sure is. And in that fort we are going to spend the afternoon watching movies after we make a model aeroplane" she said as she pointed over to the table where arts and crafts were placed right across it "Is that cool?" she asked as he smiled cheekily up at her

"Yeah mum this is awesome" he responded a bit awe struck as he looked around the room

"But before we can get to that stuff, we need to have a talk" she said

"Can we talk in the fort?" he asked and she laughed before nodding and following him into the fort

"Honey" she said as they both got comfortable "Yesterday you said to me that' I'll just let dad and you and Milo be a family together' what did you mean?" she hoped she wasn't pushing him

"You have a new baby now, you have Milo you don't need me anymore" he said looking down trying her hardest to avoid his mother's glance "If you don't want to be my mum anymore you don't have to be"

"Hey, hey, hey" she said trying to hold back the tears in her eyes "Look at me Logan" she put her hand under his chin and raised his head so that he was looking up at her "You are my little boy Logan Evans, I love you so much and I love being your mum and there is nothing in this world that would ever make me stop being your mum because it makes me so incredibly happy. I know that I have been distracted lately and that I haven't had time to do all the stuff that we usually do but that doesn't mean I love you any less okay?"

"Okay" he said a smile beginning to appear on his perfect little face

"Now bring it in" she said opening her arms as he jumped into them throwing her backwards with a massive laugh.

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton was standing cooking breakfast in the kitchen; the kids didn't know that Lucas was home yet. He was still pretty tired from his trip so she had let him sleep in plus she thought it would be pretty funny to see the looks on their kids' faces as he walked into the kitchen when they were least expecting it.

"Sawyer can you please get me the box of cereal from the pantry" Peyton said with a cheeky grin as the little girl ran to do it with her brother following behind

"I want to do it" he said as his little feet pattered on the floor as he chased Sawyer, Peyton watched as Sawyer took Leo's hand and helped him get his foot up on the first shelf so that he could help her get the cereal. As they busily scurried in the pantry Lucas ran into the room, kissed Ellie on the head from where she sat in her high chair before running up behind the kids and wrapping his arms around their torso, he lifted Leo up in the air and unto his hip as Sawyer turned around in shock

"DADDY" she exclaimed before throwing herself at his legs and hugging them tightly

"Can you tell that we missed you?" Peyton asked as he attempted to walk over to her, Leo was squirming in his arms and Sawyer refused to let go of his leg

"You've been gone for like FOREVER daddy" Sawyer said as Lucas put Leo down on the floor and replaced him with his curly haired daughter

"I know kid" he said kissing her on the cheek "How have you been? Are you married yet? Have any kids?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

They stood at the airport terminal just looking at each other, Quinn on the verge of tears as she contemplated saying goodbye to two of her boys. When Clay had arrived home to his house and his new living room fort setup they decided that it was the right time to tell Logan who had promised Quinn that it was okay if she went away for a while but did cling onto Quinn for a very long time.

"_We are now boarding flight 207 to New York at gate 6" _came the booming announcement and reminder that made it all real again for Quinn who started to cry

"Hey" Clay said stepping forward and wiping the tear off her face "It's only for a couple of weeks and we will come and visit" she nodded along "And we are going to be find buddy, aren't we?" he asked down to the little boy looking at his shoes

"Yup"

"We are going to get some boy hang out time and you are going to get some time to do the thing that you love, other than me of course" he said forcing her to smile

"I love you Clay Evans" she said looking up into his deep eyes

"Love you too Quinn Evans" he said touching her cheek before looking down to the baby he was holding in his arms that he was about to have to hand over "You be good for mama okay" he kissed the top of Milo's head "Say goodbye to mum Log"

Logan stepped forwards as Quinn leant down and brought him in for a hug "remember what we talked about in our cool as fort" he nodded at her with his sad puppy dog eyes "I'm a phone call away baby boy, you've got to make sure that your dad eats vegetables okay? And that he doesn't dance in public" he smiled at the last one before hugging her tightly

"Love you mama"

"Love you too bub" she said before kissing him on the cheek and standing up, Clay handed over Milo very caring and protectively

"Okay family hug" he said with a smile as they all headed into the group hug, Milo pressed caringly to Quinn's chest, Clay wrapped his arms around them both as Logan wrapped his arms around his parents legs

"_Final boarding pass for flight…"_

"Well that's my cue" she said wiping away a stray tear, kissing both her boys again before picking up her handbag and walking towards the terminal door with Logan and Clay following behind, she turned and waved goodbye as Clay lifted Logan up onto his hip as the little boy put his head on his dads shoulder.

To be continued

*Authors Note* next chapter expect the return of Lindsey with a few surprises and the reactions of not only Lucas and Peyton but the rest of Tree Hill.

This chapter was for _TilkingdomcomeCQ_ who requested some Quinn and Clay; I hope you are happy with what I have written.

Anyone reading feel free to request characters you want more about, it really helps me out

Thanks for reading! 


	6. Chapter 6

We Belong – chapter six 

She had pulled her car up in the long driveway, for a moment she found herself staring at the front door to the eclectic house and its yellow front door wondering, just wondering if this was a good idea after all. She had had this feeling that it wasn't going to be the whole way to his house but she figured that it may have had something to do with being back in this town, in the place where it all had happened. Eventually after a couple of incredibly deep breaths, she looked at herself, a pile of nervousness, in the rear vision mirror before clambering out of the car and straightening her skirt up and walking up the path. If she had a dollar for every time she had tried to talk herself out of this today she would be a squillionaire and she wouldn't even have to be doing this job, but she brushed aside that thought and thumped her knuckles rhythmically on the yellow door. She stands still breathing steadily on their doorstep waiting for some kind of response when she hears footsteps sprinting on the other side of the door and then it swings open. And now she stands in front of the little blonde girl who is wearing an infectious grin and a raven's jersey, she finds herself taking a step back; this child was most definitely the creation of Peyton. She could tell this from the blonde curls and the gorgeous piercing eyes but the girl in front of her is also so much of Lucas. That smile, the expressions and the squint that she was pretty sure was due to nurture not nature, it was clear that she was a daddy's girl and she hadn't even opened her mouth. This had been the age Jamie was when she had last visited him she assumed. She realises that the little girl is giving her the same look that Lucas used to give when she was in her own world and he wanted to be let in, and she didn't doubt that it was scary to open the door to a complete stranger and just be starred at, so she got down to her level and smiled "Hi! My name is Lindsey and I was looking for your….I was looking for Lucas Scott" she hadn't known why she did that

"I'm Sawyer" she gleamed looking at the woman standing in front of her before turning "DADDY" she yelled up the hallway as Lindsey smiled standing up straight and then she spots them, the original squinty eyes. Lucas Scott is exactly the way he was when she had first met him, despite the obvious aging but she wasn't going to hold that against him, he was laughing at something behind him as he made it to the opening of the hallway in the direction of his daughter and then as he catches a glimpse at the other side of the open door, he slows his pace down but continues to walk towards them with this lingering look of shock on his face "Daddy this is Lindsey and she is looking for you" she looks up at him with such admiration

"Thanks bub, how about you go and talk some smack to Uncle Skills" he said referring to the group up in the living room at his house playing basketball on the play station

"Kay. Bye Lindsey" she waved before skipping up the hallway, Lucas watched her go before turning to face Lindsey with this confused expression, she had wanted nothing to do with him all those years ago, why was she on his doorstep now?

"Lindsey what are you doing here?" he looks at her with the same sympathetic eyes he had always had, her response was interrupted by loud conversation up the hallway the voice clearly belonging to Luke's close friend Skills

"Whoa hold up Blondie Scott. Who'd you say was at the door?" it asked

"Her name is Lindsey" the little girl said without dropping a beat

"What does she look like? Is she blonde?" Mouth's voice asked, she could just imagine the look that they were sharing right now over the oblivious little girl

"Ya-ha, she is blonde and really pretty" Lindsey smiled and so does Lucas at the little girl's innocence and simplistic views. But she figured she had to respond to the question eventually

"Lucas what you did on tour, just up and leaving like that, The publishers are furious and so is Phil. Luke….umm we have an audience" she said pointing up the hallway where the faces of Mouth, Skills, Junk, Fergie and Sawyer peered at them.

"Well I guess that maybe you should just come in" he doesn't know where that came from and neither does she but for some reason her body mindlessly follows him into the house, it would be nice to see some of the people that she was so fond of all those years ago but this was her past, did she really want to dredge it up into her future. As she walked up the hallway behind him it's like every single happy family photo is pressed into her mind, every piece of Peyton's artwork creates an imprint and it is the oddest feeling of all time. She finds herself in the threshold, there is no going back from this moment but she supposed there was no going back once she saw Lucas and his daughter. Lindsey snaps back into focus and out of her spinning mind to find every single one of the people in Lucas' living room just staring at her with the same confused looks that she was feeling right now, she was having a hard enough time coming to grips with seeing Lucas and this was a whole other bunch of bad for her.

"Wow, Lindsey" Mouth stammers as he awkwardly tried to break the awkward silence

"What Mouth is trying to say is that it is great to see you" Skills fills in as he steps forward and hugs the woman in front of him sensing the oddness that she must have been feeling right at the moment. It's too unsettling for her to stand and so after another moment of a complete awkward silence she steps forward

"Look Luke this is really just a business visit, I shouldn't stay but maybe we can meet up for lunch and discuss the matter further"

"Sure" he says as she waves goodbye and he offers to walk her to the front door but then the unthinkable happens, actually it was something that she been thinking about every single minute after she thought about how awkward and tense and unsettling it would be to see Lucas again, the front door opens and all of the river court boys look up the hallway, she can hear a woman's laughter and she was stuck on the spot, she wouldn't be able to move her feet even if she wanted to. Sawyer ran out of the room yelling some completely inaudible to her in her current state other than the exaggerated 'ah' at the send, as she disappeared around the corner and another blonde child appeared staggering as she ran, obviously the child who she assumed was a girl because of the piggy tails she was fashioning as she ran up to one of the adults legs as they hoisted her up on his hip "Ellie loves herself some Fergie just like her dad" he said as the boys all smirked and the three women walked into the room, Karen, Haley and the girl that she hadn't seen since she was five years old and she felt herself tear up, Lily Scott was so grown up now and now she shared that same look of shock as her mother and her aunty. Lindsey took a sigh of relief as she noticed the absence of the woman that she was worried about seeing the most but her lucking feeling was short lived when she heard the laughter and the voice up the hallway.

"Leo" Peyton laughed as Brooke did the same next to her "honey come on" she said as they both attempted to balance shopping bags and a toddler who was putting a lot of hesitation into being in the house. Tonight was an early family dinner because Brooke was taking a well-deserved break with her boys not to mention Sam and Jack as well.

"Are you ready to get this party started?" Brooke shouted as she walked into the already crowded living room, she looked from the concerned and shocked faces to the woman that she hadn't seen in an incredibly long time "oh" she said as she came to a screeching halt which stopped Peyton in her tracks and made her run into her best friends back

"What's going on? Did Sawyer paint the walls again?" she asked with a laugh as she pushed forward and then spots Lindsey "oh"

"Mama this is Lindsey" Sawyer said stepping forward and clutching onto her mother's leg

"Pretty bad day for a drop in" Skills said as the front door opened yet again

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton carried Ellie up the stairs to change her dirty nappy, she was pretty sure that this was the only time she had ever been excited to change a nappy well other than the time that they thought Leo had swallowed a coin. She just needed to be out of that room; to work out what she was feeling, what she should be feeling without the gaze of every single member of her well-wishing family that crowded the bottom level of her home. She didn't even need to turn around to know that it was Brooke walking the stairs behind her; she was kind of hoping that it would be her husband so that he could maybe explain it all to her. Peyton sat Ellie down on the changing table as Brooke passed the little girl a toy from her crib.

"Did you know she was coming?" Brooke asked looking at her friend with eyes filled to the brim of concern as Peyton continued to change the little girl's nappy

"hell no" she said turning to her friend, and Brooke read her facial expressions, not angry, not upset but she just couldn't pin point that emotion in her friend "Luke mentioned that she had tried to call him the other day but nothing about her showing up on my doorstep" she said picking her daughter up and passing her to Brooke who immediately fawned over the girl

"I so want to be here to watch all that Tree Hill drama unfold but unfortunately I have a plane to catch and paradise to sit in"

"Want to trade places?" Peyton asked with a smile, what she had learnt from spending so long away from home, so long away from the people that loved you in the world was that just the mere presence of a close friend could instantly boost your mood and perform miracles as small as putting a smile on your face and as big as the universe.

"Hell no" Brooke responded in the same tone Peyton had said the same phrase in just moments earlier

"Hey" Lucas said as he stepped into the doorway, Brooke looked at him sympathetically, this just wasn't going to go well for him, for all the smiles that Brooke could put on Peyton's face the eyes never lied and right now Peyton was pissed

"Think fast" Peyton said as she picked up the dirty nappy and chucked it in his direction; Brooke tried to hide her laughter before excusing herself from the room, patting Lucas on the back as she did

"I guess I deserved that" Lucas said putting the nappy back on the changing table before walking towards the chair that his wife sat in "Peyton I didn't know that she was coming"

"Lucas it doesn't bother me" Peyton lied, he gave her the look

"Peyton Sawyer Scott I know you and I know every expression on that pretty little face of yours, so don't throw a nappy at me and then pretend everything is fine"

"Luke" she sighed "I don't care that she is here, that is fine. Believe it or not I actually don't hate Lindsey but..."

"You don't believe me do you Peyton?" Lucas asked as he sat across from her on the foot rest "You don't mind that she is here, you don't mind Lindsey but you don't believe me?"

"You told me that she called you last week that you didn't answer but she called you and now less than a week later she is on our doorstep and you want me to believe that she just magically got the idea herself and that she just guessed where we lived?"

"I can't believe this." He said looking at his wife with this laugh of disbelief "we don't lie to each other Peyton, not now not ever, this relationship has depended on us saying exactly how we feel and be deathly honest with each other and you think that I would risk this, risk the relationship that we have worked so hard to have and to keep on a lie that let's face it would have failed miserably if it was actually a lie"

"Lucas, I walked into our house and she was standing there in my living room with my child and you expect me to not be as confused, not to freak out a little."

"Well I guess now that you sort of get a glimpse of what she felt like when you came back into town" he regretted it the moment that it left his lips and that hurt look appeared on her face, her eyes filling with tears, she stood up and stepped away from the chair attempting to leave the room but he grabbed her arm "Come on Peyton"

"I can't" she said ripping out of his grasp and walking out of the room leaving Lucas sitting alone with his head in his hands

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I talked to Quinney today" Haley said as she sat down next to Clay on the couch "She seems to be having a really great time, well as good of a time as you can have when you are travelling with an infant"

"Yeah it seems like it" he said looking up at his wife's sister with the worst fake smile in history "But I suppose you heard all of that from her anyway"

"Actually" she said looking at him intently, throwing up barriers between their conversation and the rest of the world "We spent five minutes talking about New York and then about two hours and fifty five minutes talking about Tree Hill"

"What do you mean?" Clay asked

"She is worried about you Clay, she said that the last couple of times she has called you that you have sounded really flat and down" she could see tears forming in his eyes

"How did you feel when Nathan was travelling all the time?" he asked

"As though each time he left he was ripping out part of my soul and taking it with him" there was no point lying now

"It's one hundred times worse when it's not just your partner, your love but also your baby son. I feel like I'm missing everything all over again Haley and its killing me, I'm trying to stay strong for Logan but it's really becoming hard to do" he sighed as Haley wrapped her arms around him "Milo smiled for the first time yesterday" Haley felt her own eyes well up

"She'll be back soon and so will Milo and if you want to you can spend from now till the end of forever looking at his smiles" he nodded and actually gave her a small but proper smile "Keep in mind that if you want to go and visit them that we can take care of Logan for a couple of days"

"Thanks Hales. I'm going to take him up in a couple of weeks, he misses his mum and while he won't be admitting it he misses his baby brother" he let out a laugh, Haley spotted out of the corner of her eye Lindsey walking out of the crowded and loud living room and onto the deck outside, she quickly excused herself and planted a kiss on Clay's cheek before heading out.

"This must be pretty weird for you" she startled Lindsey who had thought she was alone; she looked over to the now blonde woman who she remembered as a brunette who grasped a beer in her hand

"It's so surreal. I mean last time I was here Jamie and Lily were the only kids and now it's like baby-central. I mean even Lucas is a dad now"

"That must be weird too" Haley said walking onto the deck and sitting in the deck chair that she had put together on moving in day

"You know I always assumed that Peyton and Lucas would get married and have children despite the physical pain it caused me in the beginning but today seeing their faces and their personalities, it just wigs me out a bit. So let me get this straight" she said purposely changing the subject "You have four kids now?" Haley nodded with an abundant smile "Now that is crazy, I've got one and it is crazy enough"

"You've got a baby?" Haley asked, she hadn't suspected that

"Well I didn't spend the whole time pining over Lucas" she made the conversation awkward, Haley didn't know how to answer and she didn't know how to get away from it now

"I'm sorry that I didn't keep in contact with you" she had a million reasons and excuses why she couldn't have but she left the statement at that

"Haley, Lucas is your best friend I understand, I've always understood. I guess that it was easier to just cut all my ties to Tree Hill when I left" she said with a smile as she looked out onto the backyard.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Longest plane trip of my whole entire life" Julian moaned as they stepped out of the cab, this was the first time that they had taken the boys on an airplane and let's just say that it had been incredibly intense flight, their boys were pretty active and apparently having to sit down for a couple of hours wasn't in their repertoire

"How is it even possible that while we are exhausted they seem to be filled with more energy than they had when we left Tree Hill?" she asked as she watched Jude and Davis who had practically jumped out of the car as soon as they parked and were now playing around a fountain that stood near the entrance of their hotel

"They are possessed" Julian said as he winched the suitcase out of cab, paid the driver before walking over to join his wife who tiredly laughed as he put a hand over her shoulder, both taking a moment to look on at their little angles

"They are possessed but they are pretty gorgeous" she watched on with a smile which quickly turned into a frown when one of her boys jumped into the fountain and the other one looked to do the same thing "I take it back" she said before running forward and scooping Jude up into her arms before he could launch into the fountain as her husband bundled a soaking wet Davis

"And you thought I was the problem child" she said leaning in so that she knew her foster mum could hear her, Brooke turned around as fast as humanly possible with the biggest smile on her face

"SAMMY" she said letting go of her son and wrapping her arms around the girls neck rocking from side to side, she let her go and then made her way over to the boy that was making her Sam happy and had been for a very long time now "Jack Daniels" she said with a smile as she hugged him as well, It was kind of an awkward hug, it always had been between the two of them but slowly through time it was becoming less awkward, they owed it to Sam to give it their best shot and they both had something very much in common their love for her.

"How was your flight?" he asked as he shook hands with Julian who had already had his attacking Sam with hugs moment, there was no doubt that he loved that girl, the girl who had helped him shape his life from the moment he stepped into that diner in Tree Hill

"Let's never speak of that flight again" Brooke said with a smile as she bent down to pick up her bag winking in their direction before the group headed into the hotel's entrance

X-x-x-x-x-x

Lucas was completely unaware of his surroundings he found himself with that feeling in dream land where you felt like you were falling but as his head bounced upon the mattress underneath him and his eyes darted open to find his wife who frantically pulled the pillow case that he had just moments ago been using. "Ah" he said with this smile that he reserved specifically for his girl, he knew what this was, he knew how she was feeling because she was on a cleaning binge and that indicated that she was upset and pissed off. When everyone had left the night before she had pretended that she was fine, they had headed to bed and she had proceeded to get the most distance between them on their king sized bed "Good morning Peyt" he said as he propped himself up with his arms in the way that his pillow had been doing moments earlier before she yanked the duvet off the bed revealing his legs that were left bare from the simple pair of striped boxer briefs that he had worn to bed.

"Morning" she said under her breath as she avoided her husband's gaze as he quickly sat up and grabbed her hand, she looked towards him only briefly with tears filling her eyes "I can't Luke, I have like one hundred things to do before the kids wake up"

"Peyton Sawyer Scott frantic cleaning can wait while we talk about last night, okay?"

"Okay" she said throwing the duvet and it's half on half off cover onto the floor knowing full well that she didn't have a choice in the matter and that she needed to get this big pressure that had been present since she walked into her home the previous night off her shoulders.

"Peyton I'm sorry about yesterday, I promise that I didn't know that Lindsey was coming into town and I especially didn't know that she was going to show up at our house"

"Lucas I overreacted, I know that. There is just something about Lindsey that makes me so self-conscious, so much of who I don't want to be. I mean when I came back into town when you and her were together I was the worst possible version of myself. I believe you Luke, I do and I agree with what you said last night, I'd never thought of it that way before. I'm just so confused when it comes to Lindsey"

"Lindsey was a big part of my life, not as big"

"Hey" she said with a joking laugh that made him smile, this is the sort of emotion that he wanted to provide his wife with, not tears and definitely not silence

"Not as immense as you but still considerably significant but Peyton I love you, I want to be with you, and I am with you. And if you want me to never see Lindsey again then I won't, it's as simple as that. If that's what you want then I will give it to you"

"I know you will" she said kissing the hand that he had placed on her face "But that isn't what I want, go visit her" he looked at her with his squinty eyes "Obviously she was on our doorstep for a reason, I doubt she would come back if she didn't have one"

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" she nodded "It's not just you trying to do what you think I want you to do?" she shook her head "Swear on the cure"

"But Luke you hate the cure" she said with a laugh as he lifted her up onto his lap and placed kisses down her neck

"Yes but I know how much you love them" she said as he continued to kiss her neck

"Fine! I swear on the cure that this is something I want you to do"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Para-Para-Paradise" Julian belted out as he walked through the sliding doors that divided the master bedroom of the villa that they had hired out and their own personal pool, the lyrics to the song were right it was 'Paradise' his infectious grin turned to his wife and his step-daughter who sat in the brightness of the room eating from massive bowls filled to the brim with fruit and yoghurt, looking at him with the most shell shocked and embarrassed looks.

"Really?" Sam asked before she spooned her breakfast into her mouth

"Yes Sam" he said with a wink as he walked towards the kitchen "You know what this Paradise needs" the girls turned to look at him "Coffee" he answered as he reached the top cupboard where the mugs were kept, Sam looked over to her surrogate mother and laughed when she clearly caught her perving, Brooke wasn't even pretending to be embarrassed as Julian turned around the smile still hadn't left his face "How about it Sammy? Can I interest you in a hot cup of sugar?"

"That would be great" she laughed, Julian was still unaware of what had occurred when his back was turned "Hey Julian" Sam asked noticing the obvious absence "Where have you put Jack?"

"He is outside playing in the pool with the boys" he said just as a loud splash was heard followed by the giggles of what could only be assumed as the twin boys, both she and Brooke made their way to the sliding doors and stuck their heads out to find Jack catching an inflatable ball in one hand and dodging the attack of the noddle from Jude who laughed hysterically whilst shivering and wearing his floaties. Brooke walked back inside after feeling satisfied enough knowing that her boys were in good hands, instead of following Brooke inside Sam stepped forwards and walked out into the pool area, on spotting her Jack jumped out of the pool and wrapped an arm around her as she let out a girlish scream

"You're wet" she said pushing him off her, he resisted and came back in kissing her gently on the lips "You are surprisingly good with kids" she said with a smile as she looked at the twin boys floating and splashing each other in the pool.

"What can I say? I'm a JACK of all traits" she mocked a sincere laugh at his joke before he pulled her into his side so that they were still both facing the pool and the boys "This was a really great idea Sammy, You've done a great thing here"

"I know but I still feel like I'm being dishonest." She gulped as he kissed the top of her head

"Do you want to tell them?" he asked looking down at the girl who was significantly shorter than him

"Not just yet" she looked up at him with this look of full vulnerability before getting drawn away at the calling of her name from the two little boys "And what do you two want?" she asked with a smile

"Come in the pool Sammy" Davis pleaded with the grin that his papa had taught him how to use to trick people into doing what you wanted them to do; she shrugged her shoulders and then darted forwards before jumping into the pool pretty much fully clothed to the surprise of all three of the boys.

X-x-x-x-x-x

Lucas was at her hotel, he stood in front of the door that possessed the same number as the one Lindsey had written down for him on a piece of paper the previous night. He tapped his knuckles across it before anxiously waiting. When the door did finally open it was to something that he had completely not expected, a small child, the height of his knee looked up at him, his face covered by a lion mask, Lucas began to laugh as the small child 'Roared' at him.

"I think I've got the wrong room" Lucas said with a smile as he looked at the child before turning to walk away, quite possible down to reception to find out if he was even at the right hotel when his attention was drawn back to the room by her voice, it wasn't something that he had forgotten

"Levi Bennett Strauss Carter!" it scowled "I just stood on a piece of Lego….Lucas" she said with a smile as she noticed the man in her doorway

"Who is it mama?" the little boy asked in what could only be assumed as an attempt at whispering as he took his lion mask off and looked up to Lindsey who had now just been revealed as his mother to Lucas. Now he could see the resemblance, the light brown-blonde hair and the deep green eyes. Lucas knelt down to the little boy's level

"I'm Lucas, you must be Levi" he said holding out his hand, the boy looked at it intently for a moment unaware of what to actually do before he fist pumped Lucas' open palm  
"Buddy" Lindsey said kneeling down to the height of her son "What have daddy and I been teaching you? That it is rude to ask when the person is standing right there, now go and pick up your Lego kid" she said turning from serious to happy. As Levi ran off into the room with a smile both Lindsey and Lucas both stood up to face each other.

"Bennett Strauss wow" he said with his killed smile "Your dad would have been so honoured" her father's name had been Bennett and he couldn't say that it surprised him that Lindsey had carried on her father's legacy, she had always been a daddy's girl and she always carried him close to her heart.

"Well he had his ears so I sort of had to" she joked before stepping aside "Would you like to come in?" she asked as he nodded and then walked in. The awkwardness and the silence was engulfing the room, she could hear her son in the other room which made her smile and really identified how ridiculous this all was "I swear that you have had that t-shirt for as long as I have known you" she smiled after using her attempted ice-breaker

Lucas looked down at it and awkwardly smiled "Peyton gave it to me" so he plan had backfired but that wasn't something she was willing to focus on at this exact moment. "I'm sorry Lindsey but I'm just a little bit confused to why you are actually here?"

"Okay Luke here is the thing, That book tour was incredibly important, it was really getting your name out there and it was helping to develop a very much needed fan base. And well you just blew it off, there were people there who wanted to meet you, businesses that depended on it, people who depended on it but you just up and left and that had really got under the publishers"

"I know how important that all is, I do but I have three kids and a wife who all depend on me. I fulfilled my commitments; I did all the talked about and scheduled tour dates that we all discussed months in advance. The signing's that I missed out on were added on with the most minimal of notice and I had already been away from home long enough, you get how it is don't you?" he asked indicating up the small hallway to the bedroom that her son was playing in, she looked for a moment before turning back to him

"I'll talk to the publishers and Phil for you but Lucas it can't happen again, not because it's not a valid reason but because these guys take their work very seriously, they live it, breath it, snort it, inhale it" she said with a smile as he did the same

"Why did they send you?" he asked with this hint of nervousness

"Temperamental artists are my speciality" she said "In all honesty they thought that I knew you better than any of them did and that I could get to the real root of the problem"

"DADDDDDY'S HOME" the little boy yelled as he ran up the hallway towards the front door, Lucas looked on confused he had no idea what the little boy was yelling about, there was no sign of a man at all and not a single sign

"Levi has a sixth sense when it comes to this stuff" she said standing up just as the front door unlocked and opened, the little boy jumped into his father's arms, it was something that Sawyer would do to him whenever he walked into the house too, Lucas stood up and stood awkwardly in front of the chair he had been sitting in

"Oh sorry guys I didn't mean to interrupt"

"It's fine, I think we were finished anyway" he said again taking a step forward as Lindsey weaved her arm through the un-identified mans

"Lucas this is my husband Payton Carter, Payton this is Lucas"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Sammy and Jack sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G" she sang "first comes love, then comes marriage, now Sammy's pushing a baby carriage" Brooke said with a cheeky smile whilst making kissing noises as Sam like any embarrassed child, blushing before hiding behind her magazine

"What's going on here? Julian asked as he and Jack walked onto the beach where the two girls sat in deck chairs

"I'm just teaching Samantha here about life" Brooke said, quirking her eyebrow as she turned to Sam who in turn went an even brighter shade of red

"Where have you guys been anyway?" Sam asked, half out of curiosity and half to change the subject

"Having some man time" Jack responded with a smile as he turned to Julian who was looking around with a concerned look on his face before turning back to his wife

"Hey Brooke are the boys supposed to be in the kids program?" he asked as she shook her head "Then where are they?"

"They are right….." she started as she stood up from the lounge chair, looking to the spot where she had last seen Jude and Davis making sand castles "DAVIS! JUDE!" she yelled as she walked towards the abandoned buckets "They were right here a second ago" she stated before starting up the beach fast paced, yelling out there names as each adult ran in a different direction in an attempt to cover the most land.

"Any luck?" Sam yelled across to Brooke with a life guard at her side

"Nothing!" she exclaimed as she put a hand to her head in panic as the other one rested upon her hip "This shouldn't be happening, I should have been watching them"

"Brooke we are going to find them" Sam said putting a hand on to the panicked woman's back

"We have too" she was on the brink of tears, she had never wanted to imagine losing her children, they meant so much to her, they were her world

"Hi I'm Tom" the lifeguard introduced himself to Brooke as he stepped forward "I need to know what your sons were wearing when you last saw them" this was the only detail that Sam hadn't been able to manage wrangling up when she had frantically spurted out information when she had found Tom on the beach

"Their names are Jude and Davis Baker and they were wearing matching striped board shorts but Jude was wearing red and Davis….DAVIS!" she screamed as she caught a glimpse of the navy blue shorts that she was just about to describe and she darted up the beach towards him, hugging him tightly to herself "Never ever do that to me again, do you hear me?" she said with relief pouring through every inch of her body as Sam, Julian, Jack and the lifeguard headed towards her and then she realised "Honey where is your brother?"

"I don't know" those words in themselves set off all types of alarm bells in her head and all relief was gone again. Brooke looked to Davis who amongst all the chaos was petrified and looking around at all the upset and concerned faces of the people he loved most in his little world, he was yanked back into reality as his mother shook his shoulders to get his attention

"This is very important Davis; we need to know where your brother is"

"Mama you are scaring me" his little eyes pleaded as his mum's heart broke

"Hey dude" Sam piped in knowing full well that Brooke couldn't do it on her own "Where was Jude going the last time you saw him?" she asked, the boys briefly looking back at her between frantic searches with their eyes

"He was going to wash all the sand off"

"Where Baby?" Julian asked as he leant forward

"In the ocean" Davis had been fascinated with the word ocean since the plane had landed

"WHAT?" Brooke practically screamed as she stood up and looked out into the open water "JULIAN. He had only just started swimming lessons, he can't do it properly" she was on the verge of blubbering but before she could prompt her husband to do something she spots out of the corner of her blurry tear filled eyes Julian and Jack running towards the water fully clothed. Brooke then turned to look at Sam but notices instead not only Tom but five other lifeguards rushing towards them and the water. She clambers to get Davis up onto her hip and he clutches tightly to his mum. She watches anxiously as the boys duck dive into the water whilst she sobs "JULIAN CAN YOU SEE HIM? JUDE! YOU HAVE TO FIND HIM. WHERE THE HELL IS HE?" she doesn't care how many people are looking at her on the crowded beach this was a disastrous situation

"Ah Brooke" the voice says behind her as she turns to face Sam who is pointing up the beach to where the little boy is walking with an ice cream in his hand. Brooke practically threw Davis at Sam and ran full ball up the beach, dropping to her knees, ignoring the grooves that the rough sand made in her knees and tackle hugs the boy, her boy, holding him as close to her body as humanly possible "JULIAN, JACK, LIFESAVER DUDES!" Sam yelled towards the ocean as they all turn to face her as a terrified Davis clutches onto her for dear life "WE'VE GOT HIM" she watches as a wave of relief comes over them all before they head to shore, thanking the lifeguards before running up the beach too, Julian to his wife and son, Jack to Sam and Davis. Jack kissed the top of her head and holds her close to himself, there was nothing like a dose of missing child to make people question their own mortality, he then ruffled little Davis' hair.

"Are you sure you want to do this whole kid thing?" he asked as he looked out to where Brooke and Julian stood

"No! But there isn't much we can do about that now"

X-x-x-x-x-x

She sat at her desk facing the giant 'red bedroom record' sign with a finger in her ear, her daughter and her niece had decided that it was come to work with Mama/Aunt Peyton day and were officially ruling the roust, currently they were making sweet music with Chris Keller who they had kindly interrupted with their presence. When they had first ran in and interrupted his rehearsal Peyton had been quick to apologise and try to rush them out to play with something else he had insisted on hanging out with the little girls, so now she was sitting with a massive grin and a bout of hysterical giggles trying to decide whether she could stand the 'music' or if she should shut the studio doors or even better go down to TRIC and have a couple of stiff drinks.

"Hey" she noticed the voice before she had noticed the presence, looking up Peyton smiled "I was wondering if I could talk to you?" Lindsey said with a smile as Peyton stood up

"Sure can" she said as she walked over to the studio doors, shutting them behind her and blocking out the majority of the whaling noise that was coming out of the room before walking back to her desk and sitting behind her "Lydia and Sawyer are making music" she said as an answer to the question that Lindsey hadn't even asked, she laughed anyway "So what can I do for you?"

"It's so surreal being back here, I remember when this was just a TRIC store room, now look at all those records on the wall, all the sweet music that you are giving to the world" Peyton smiled, it was an uncomfortable feeling not knowing someone's intentions "Look Peyton I know how weird it must have been walking into your own home and finding your husband's ex and someone that you don't really like in the first place"

"Why does everyone keep thinking that I hated you? That is so far from the truth" she said briefly turning to where the music had stopped but the giggles had started "Lindsey I just wanted to say that I am sorry for what happened all those years ago, I mean as bad as it sounds, I wouldn't take any of it back because of all that I have gotten in life simply for it but I'm sorry for the way I treated you"

"When it first happened everyone kept telling me that everything happens for a reason and I just wanted to punch them in the face because it sounded like the most clichéd and stupid logic in the world but looking back on it now they were all right and I was so wrong. So I stopped thinking about What if's a long time ago"

"I really do like you Lindsey" Peyton reinforced the idea to the girl who smiled back at her

"And I really like you Peyton" she added as they both momentarily smiled at each other "And you really do have a beautiful family"

"So I heard on the grapevine that you have a kid of your own?" Peyton sort of stated and asked at the same time

"I sure do" Lindsey said reaching for her phone and stifling through pictures "This is Levi"

"He is gorgeous" Peyton exclaimed as she flicked through the photos

To be continued 

*Authors Note* Sorry If this wasn't my best piece of writing, I've had a bit of a couple of flat days where I just couldn't find the inspiration to finish off this chapter. So I took a spare second tonight to get it all done and out there for you. Let me know what you think


	7. Chapter 7

We Belong – Chapter seven 

*Authors Note* This chapter is set a couple of weeks after the last one, I realise that by doing this I kind of eliminate a little bit of the goings on with Lindsey and Peyton but there will be some closure on the whole Lindsey thing within this chapter. Although the primary focus will be upon Quinn and Clay, in the last chapter of 'We Belong' Clay was pretty down with Quinn in New York with their son Milo who had just smiled for the first time. If you read really closely I have changed the age of Milo and Lila so I could do more with them in the next couple of chapters. So here it goes, let me know what you think and let me know what you would like next *Authors Note*

"FINE" she yelled into the receiver before slamming it down onto the phone in her hotel room, her face was flushed and she felt all this built up anger rising whilst threatening to climb up her throat and explode out onto the world. She had been in New York for nearly two months now and while it had been an excellent career move and she was having a blast with it Quinn wasn't going to deny that it was putting an incredible strain on her relationship with Clay. She missed her boys like crazy, it was pretty much all she could do when she finally found herself a moment to relax and just be when the tide in the ocean that was her life had subsided. She worked hard, shooting pretty much all day in a range of different settings before coming home to be with her six month old baby son who was under the care of her sister Taylor who had had a small window of freedom between one adventure and the next and decided to come up to New York, stay in another hotel room and help Quinney out. When she had first come to New York the evening became scheduled, once Quinn finally got her son to sleep and Taylor went back to her own room she would call home, crossing her fingers and begging internally that Logan wasn't in bed yet and that she could hear his colourful stories of day to day life in Tree Hill, afterwards he would pass the phone to his dad and she would spend hours on the phone to him talking over every miniscule moment of her day, once she finally hung up the phone, she would run herself a nice warm bath and try to wash away the pain of knowing that she was so far away from them and that tomorrow the same routine would continue. They had come to visit her the previous week and it had been fun. She got to watch all three of her boys just be, but the pitfall of the trip was not only that they had to leave but that Clay spent the majority of it trying to convince her to come home to him earlier, to up and leave the project she was on for the sake of her family and while she missed the home she had created with him, she was an independent woman and deep down she knew that she wanted this, that she had wanted this and would probably continue to want this project and at this moment in time she couldn't put her life on hold for any longer, if she didn't do it now she simply never would. Quinn walked to the bathroom and splashed water on her face in an attempt to calm herself down before walking out in to the living room where her big sister was rocking her son back and forth and telling him stories, despite her anger she found herself smiling as she walked over to the couch and sat down beside Taylor. "Well Taylor James haven't you turned into the baby whisperer" she said with a smile as Taylor looked up to her

"You keep carrying on like that I'll just have to leave you all high and dry in New York"

"NO" Quinn said with a smile as she threw an arm over her sister in an attempt to display how much her sisters presence was appreciated by her, she looked down to the baby in Taylor's arms and smiled as he looked up to her with his big blue eyes, a dummy hiding his little lips "We love Aunty Tay here with us don't we bubba" she asked in which he most probably unintentionally gurgled "You tell her baby, Couldn't live without you Tay-Tay" Taylor looked up at her with this mocking yet shocked look "I don't know why I just called you that, it must be baby brain. But seriously Taylor you have been a real life saver this past month, I'm so glad you are here with me, I wouldn't want anybody else"

"Not even Clay?" she asked with this air of curiosity as she watched her sister gulp and go bright red, if Taylor hadn't known Quinn her whole life she could have misconstrued this look as a look of embarrassment for forgetting that she had a wonderful husband at home who she would much rather be with but knowing her meant that Taylor knew that this was Quinn's angry face, she made a mental note to fill in Logan and Milo when he was old enough to understand so that they steered clear of their mother in these situations. Taylor was privy to this information because when they were growing up and they shared a bedroom or even a telephone line she had caused this exact look on her sister's face. "What is going on with you guys?"

"Nothing" Taylor gave her the eyeball "No really nothing is going on with us, it's a whole lot of nothing, and it's just been really rough on us being so far away. I'm mad because when I took this job Clay assured me that everything would be okay, that our home life would remain the same and when it was over I would return home to my perfect life, so I fell in love with the job and now Clay is mad because I'm so far away and that I've taken Milo with me. I understand how tough that would be on him, in fact I do know because I'm away from my son as well but his solution to our problem isn't to ride out the storm like I'm trying so desperately to do but to instead try and make me come home. It's like we agree that this can only be solved by a compromise but his compromise relies solely on me giving up my love, my dream, my passion and I'm just not willing to do that. And so we are both left infuriated for two different reasons and our every word has turned into a battle zone"

"You have been through this stuff before, it will be fine you'll work it out" Taylor said half paying attention to her sister and focusing the rest on the little boy that she had developed a crush on in the month she had spent with him, day in day out.

"I have no doubt that we will work it out, It's just so hard over the phone where I can't see and in correspondence let my heart melt at his goofy smile that orients me away from knowing what the argument is all about and when things get really bad it can't be construed as a steamy moment that ends up in the bedroom and in turn the argument is forgotten"

"Words can't even describe how proud I am of you right now" Taylor said with this sheepish grin on her face "Look if it's really as bad as you say it is you should just get him to come up for the weekend, Hales can watch Logan and I can watch Milo while you have a steamy romp of a day"

"At least cover Milo's ears when you say stuff like that" Quinn said as she looked back down at the boy and pulled a face at him as Taylor passed him back over and stood up off the couch

"Whatever" she said pulling her skirt down further onto her thigh from where it had rode up to "I'll see you guys tomorrow"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Lucas" she yelled over her shoulder and out the open door to where she assumed her husband to be, she could hear her kids playing in the toy room, there had been a fifth bedroom on the second level of their house, since there was no chance of another baby happening for this Tree Hill family, there brood was more than enough, and a range of bedrooms downstairs had already been converted into guest rooms, they had decided to make it a family living room sort of area, they knocked down walls where the hallway ended and the room began to create a more open space. It had been a decision that they all had benefited from, Sawyer would wake up in the mornings and more recently Leo who they had moved to a 'big boys bed', when she wasn't climbing into bed with her parents and waking the whole clan up with her buckets full of enthusiasm, she would peacefully (most of the time) go to the end of the hallway and play in the tee-pee or at the colouring in table and chairs that she had painted with her mum on one sunny afternoon. It meant that Peyton and Lucas didn't have to worry about their kids down the stairs especially their rowdy little Leo Scott. When he didn't respond she put down her makeup brush, tussled her hair and then walked out of their bedroom and up their hallway where she found her husband sitting at the small play table, one daughter sat on his knee and the other acted as hostess, pouring an invisible liquid into the plastic cup in front of him and then looking at him intently as she clearly expected him to act as though he was drinking it, little wild Leo ran up to his mother's legs and requested to be hoisted up onto her hip, she quickly obliged and placed a loving kiss on the squirmy boy before putting him back down on the ground, that was what this kid was like, he needed just a moment of loving and then it was straight back to playing, she hoped that this wouldn't be a philosophy her son would live by when he was old enough to date "Good morning" she said with a smile as her children and her husband looked up with the adoration that she craved, no other role in her life had provided her with the same feeling or that same satisfaction at the end of the day.

"Good morning" Lucas said standing up from the miniature chair that made him look like a giant, their young daughter began to swing her legs as the support of her father's knee disappeared and as Sawyer gave him an outraged look "What?" he asked the little girl with a smile

"Manners" she said putting her hands on her hips like her mother would do when she was agitated

"Oh I'm sorry" he said trying to push down the laughter that threatened to jump out, knowing that he would be in a world of trouble if he let it out "May I please leave the table Sawyer?"

She sighed dramatically taking her hands off her hips "I guess" she said as she looked down at the table and began to 'clean up' the tea set "Didn't even touch his tea" she muttered under her breath as Peyton laughed and Lucas smirked before pressing his lips to his wife's

"You're in trouble" Peyton said as he pulled away and passed Ellie to her mother

"I know, hopefully she will forgive me after today" he said putting an arm over Peyton's shoulders as they watched their kids

"What have you done?" Peyton asked turning to face Lucas, Lucas was always spoiling the kids rotten, not that they were spoilt, they had taught their kids to appreciate everything in life that they received but that didn't stop Lucas from spoiling them

"Nathan and I are going to pick up the wood for the C-U-B-B-Y H-O-U-S-E" he spelt out as Sawyer turned to listen in, she knew that when her parents spelled things that she wasn't allowed to know and that made her even more curious "and maybe if we have some leftover we can build another H-O-U-S-E for a D-O-G" with the last word Sawyer screamed

"A DOGGY, are we getting a doggy daddy?" she asked running over to her father

"I need to get me a copy of the spelling list from school" Lucas said as his wife cringed and laughed, she and Lucas had been discussing getting a puppy for the kids but were undecided on whether they would actually follow through with the idea and now well it seemed that Lucas had let the cat, actually the dog out of the bag.

"You can get yourself out of that one" she said stepping forwards and taking the seat that her husband had previously been sitting in, she listened and smirked as Lucas tried to throw Sawyer off the scent but Sawyer was like a dog with a bone she wasn't going to give up that easy and both Peyton and Lucas knew that.

"Okay well I have to go now" he said putting her down on the ground and kissing her forehead

"To get a Sawyer puppy?" she asked with her charming smile that Lucas tried to avoid looking at because once you got sucked in by a Sawyer smile there was no way of holding a conversation that didn't involve a lot of going 'of course Sawyer, I can do that for you Sawyer'

"I love you" he said as a general statement to the whole room before waving and walking down the stairs. Sawyer watched for a moment and then turned her grin to her mother who already felt uneasy; she swayed back and forth for a moment with her hands behind her back as if to take a moment to think about her next course of action before skipping towards her mum and pushing a plastic tea cup in front of her and pouring 'tea' into the cup once again

"Have some tea" she said pushing the cup closer to her mother with her cheeky smile

"Thanks Sawyer" Peyton said lifting it off the table "What sort of tea is it?"

"CHAI" the little girl said with this grin and this raspy voice, Peyton laughed assuming that when the little girl went out for her Friday morning coffee with her Aunt Brooke she had asked her what she was drinking and whilst Brooke had used her normal voice Sawyer had assumed that this was how it was actually said. As Sawyer looked at her she took a pretend sip from the cup and then put it down on the table again

"Delicious" she said as she rocked the calm and content little Ellie on her knee

"I'm glad" Sawyer said moving the cup "Now let's talk about this doggy"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Can you say Mama? Can you say Mama?" Alex said as she filled the plastic spoon with an orange coloured baby food, she looked at her six month old daughter and smiled. The little girl sat back in her high chair as though she was incredibly relaxed, her little brown hair spiked up as the sun shone in the back window that she sat in front of "Mama"

"Don't be ridiculous" he said as he walked into the room "She was born like a week ago, she isn't going to be able to say your name"

"Six months ago" Chase said rolling his eyes as he walked into the room and placed a kiss on both of his girls foreheads

"Well in that case" Chris said putting down his jacket on a nearby chair and walking over to where the little family had set themselves up "Can you say Chris? Can you say Chris? It's easy, here I'll spell it out for you CH for Kay, R like a lion or a pirate, IS as in…."

"Don't even think about it" Chase said pointing his finger at Chris as he turned around from his spot in the kitchen

"Can you say it?" he asked one more time looking at the little girl with big doting eyes "Well that was anticlimactic" he said straightening himself up and walking towards Chase and of course the coffee

"OH MAN" Chase said crippling over as both Chris and Alex looked at him confused

"What?" Alex asked as she picked up Lila and walked over to the boys that stood in the kitchen

"What did you do last night man?" he asked stepping back in an attempt to shield his wife and daughter from the horrible smell that was being omitted into the universe and more importantly their kitchen by his best friend

"I was just about to get that I met some really great ladies who really wanted a piece of the Chris Keller action"

"Does TRIC have any alcohol left?" Alex said as she took a step back after smelling Chris' shirt

"It seemed fine when I left with this banging chick, who by the way took me back to her place and let's just say we…"

"That's all I need to hear" Alex said as she passed Lila to Chase and took hold of Chris' arm and pushed him out of the kitchen

"Where are you taking me? Do you want a piece of the Keller action too?"

"No you are going to have a shower before you touch anymore of my belongings"

"You're not fooling me Dupre, HEY CHASE YOUR WIFE WANTS TO SEE MY BOOTY" he said with a laugh as she purposely ran him into a wall "Ow"

"Whoops" she said as she continued to walk him up the hall, the hint of a smile on her face as she did so

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton walked down the stairs with the baby monitor in her hand, she had just managed to put both of her youngest kids down for a nap and Sawyer was at a play date and was going to get dropped off later in the afternoon leaving Peyton's dance card completely blank, she could do whatever she wanted too and while she loved that freedom she didn't know what to do with it first, after a moment of consideration she walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the tub of ice cream before she walked over to the couch and sat down, putting her feet up on the coffee table and smiling as she did so. After a moment her silence was disrupted by the ringing of the doorbell, after sighing and throwing her head back onto the couch she stood up and walked down the hall with her tub of ice cream in tow. She opened the door and smiled at the woman before her, it was an uneasy smile but a smile none the less "Hey Lindsey"

"Peyton Hey" she said in response as her eyes looked to the ice cream tub in the blonde woman's hand

"I was….The kids are sleeping" she said applying the good old 'you're a mother too you would understand' card

"Oh I understand" Lindsey said with a smile "I used to do that all the time when Levi was a baby, but my poison was caramel popcorn" Peyton laughed and then stepped backwards

"Would you like to come in?" she asked with a smile and an invitation that Lindsey obliged with, walking in to bizarre-o world again and now it was even more bizarre because she was being led in by Peyton herself

"I won't keep you from the ice cream I'm just looking for Lucas, I'm actually on my way out of town today and I just had some things to go over with him whilst I was still in Tree Hill"

"Lucas isn't actually home right now; he's out with Nathan buying some exotic wood from this place up in the mountains where he can't get cell reception. Are you looking forward to heading back?" she asked as she again checked her phone for messages from her husband

"well Payton took Levi back last week so yeah I definitely am, I'm missing my little guy" she said with a laugh, she was bubbling on the inside with the excitement of getting to see her little guy in a couple of hours' time

"Oh I know the feeling" she said with a smile "Do you want me to try and call Lucas, see how long he is going to be?"

"Actually I have a couple of things that I still have to do before I leave, Can I just leave the contract with you?"

"of course you can" Peyton said with a smile before she stepped forward and hugged the girl that at one stage in time she would have refused to hug "It has been really nice seeing you around again" she said stepping backwards

"You too Peyton, Uhmm can you say goodbye to Lucas for me please" she said with a smile "Now I'll let you get back to your ice cream" she laughed as she put Lucas' contracts down on the table and headed to the front door with Peyton at her side and it was surprisingly less awkward then she originally suspected it to be, when they reached the front door a loud crash was heard up the hallway followed by hysterical screaming and crying that Peyton instantly recognised as her sons. She ran up the hallway as fast as her legs could possible take her with Lindsey following, she found Leo lying at the bottom of the stairs, in panic she looked up to the top of the stairs to the open child proof gate. Tears formed in her eyes as out of instinct she picked Leo up in her arms trying to soothe him and assess injuries.

"Holy Shit" Peyton said looking down at her son in a state of shock herself

"Is he okay?" Lindsey asked snapping Peyton out of her shock and looking at the screaming baby boy

"I have to get him to the hospital" she said walking forwards and finding her car keys, she fumbled for them and then dropped them onto the floor

"I'll take you" Lindsey said kneeling down and picking them up

"I can't" Peyton said turning to face the woman

"Of course you can, come on Peyton let me take you" Lindsey said not understanding why Peyton was responding to her offer in this way

"No I can't" Peyton said as tears rolled down her face "Ellie is still asleep in bed and Sawyer is getting dropped back here in an hour, oh, what am I going to do?"

"Take Leo to the hospital" Lindsey said as Peyton looked at her confused "I'll watch Ellie and wait for Sawyer to get home, you just get him to the hospital okay?" Peyton nodded and then scurried forwards before turning

"Lindsey, thank you"

"You're welcome, just go" she said watching as Peyton walked out the door with Leo in her arms, the further she got away the quieter the cries of both the little boy and his mother.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"And the Sex God returns" he said as he sashayed back into the room, freshly washed and with a towel wrapped around his head, he looked from Alex who sat reading a magazine to the little girl in the bouncer "Where is Chase?"

"He had to go back into work and deal with a patron who is filing a sexual harassment claim on another customer from last night, she couldn't remember his name but she said that he talked about himself in third person and puts way too much gel in his hair"

"Oh you are so funny" he said as he walked over and sat down next to her on the couch "You know you're out of conditioner?" he said as she turned and glared at him "Don't look at me, it was gone before I got there" he stated hoping that she couldn't smell not only the remainder of the apple conditioner that was seeping into his roots but also the choc mint body butter that he may have also used the remainder of.

"Great now I have to add go to the grocery store to my long list of jobs for the day and Margi hasn't shown up yet"

"Margi?" he asked, his ears always pricked up when a female was mentioned

"The babysitter that we get to watch Lila" she said as she walked over to the little girl and hoisted her up from the bouncer

"Is she hot?"

"Don't even think about it" she said turning and pointing a finger at him as she bounced the smiley little girl on her hip "I'll just have to take her with me"

"Not necessarily" she looked at him with her curious eyes "I can watch her"

"You?" she asked again for conformation

"Yeah, she needs some Uncle Keller guidance in life and if it means you get some of those chips that you got last time then I think it is worth my while"

Alex stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him "You have no idea how much this means to me and how much it will mean to Chase" she said before passing him Lila

"Calm your farm, I've watched her before. Plus It would be my honour I hear that babies can be a real chick magnet" he said as Alex gave him the look that alerted him to the fact that she was reassessing "Go on get, I've got to go meet the woman I am going to spend the rest of my life with, or the rest of the night with"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"_Hi this is Lucas Scott leave a message at the beep and I will try and get back to you as soon as possible" _she listened and waited for the beep to sound for what seemed like forever and when it finally did sound she found herself lost for words, she hung up supposing that the last one hundred messages would paint the picture enough for him and that leaving one more wouldn't help anyone. She paced up the emergency room waiting room, surrounded by the coughing and spluttering of the people waiting to see a doctor, she had arrived and explained the situation and Leo was swept away to be checked out by a doctor. Sitting down seemed pointless, she needed her husband here with her but she couldn't reach him and without a second thought she picked up the phone and dialled another number, it wasn't who she expected but they would do nevertheless. In less than twenty minutes he was running through the doors of the emergency room and wrapping his arms around her.

"Peyton, what happened?" Julian asked as he led her over to two spare chairs away from the rest of the sick people waiting to see a doctor

"Leo fell down the stairs" she said what she had been repeating in her head for the past hour aloud and it broke her hear "He was napping" she gulped "I thought he was napping, I went downstairs, I shut the gate behind me" she briefly paused and turned to him "Wait did I? Julian I can't remember if I locked the gate" she began sobbing as he put a hand on her knee "He is so little, I forget how little he is sometimes, I forget that he is in a big boys bed and sometimes I don't lock the gate because they can't get out of bed but he can, he got out of bed. What if I did this to my baby?"

"Peyton calm down" he said looking at her with his stern but vulnerable eyes, it seemed like forever ago that this would be considered a romantic gaze but no romance was held in either of their eyes these days

"I can't calm down, I made my child fall down the stairs" she said standing up and saying it all louder than she anticipated, loud enough for everyone in the emergency room to look at her with eyes filled with judgement

"Come on" Julian said standing up and taking her hand before leading her out into a secluded hallway "Peyton you have to stop, you didn't do this Leo. It was something that could happen to anyone, it was an accident"

"If it was an accident why do I feel so horrible?" she asked him as tears ran manically down her face

"I don't know if you know this but when Davis was a baby he nearly died and it was my fault" she looked at him shocked "I'd just opened the sound stage and had the babies of course, so I was sleep deprived and stressed to the max, Jude was sick so Brooke decided that she was going to keep him back from day care and asked me to take Davis for her. He was so little and so quiet that on the drive I forgot that he was in the back of the car, autopilot turned on and I went to the sound stage" he gulped even telling this story took him back to the feelings that he felt when it had all happened originally "It was a hot day, I completely forgot he was with me and I went to work at the sound stage by the time I decided to head home an ambulance was sitting at my car, my window had been broken into and Davis was on a stretcher. My heart broke" he felt his own eyes well up as tears continued to pour down Peyton's face "I punished myself for it Peyton, I didn't think that I was worthy of my family"

"How did you deal with it? All that guilt?" she asked looking at him intently

"With the support of family and friends, Haley sat down with me at the café and told me that basically we all do the best that we can do and that we make better decisions the next time, it really helped. Peyton we aren't super heroes, we work with what we've got and we make mistakes from time to time" he said as she began to sob again and rested her head on Julian's shoulder.

"Mrs Scott?" the woman in the white lab coat asked as she walked into the hallway

"Yes that's me" she said standing up and wiping her tears away "How is Leo? Is he okay?" she practically begged

"He is a little bit shaken and will probably be bruised for a couple of days but other than that he is a very healthy and very lucky little boy, we'll keep him under observation tonight and hopefully you can take him home tomorrow"

A look of relief poured out of Peyton's face "Can I see him?"

"Follow me" the doctor said as she put a supportive hand on Peyton's arm, Peyton went to walk away but stopped and turned to face Julian

"Julian…."

"I can stay if you want me too" he said with a smile as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek

"Thank you so much for being here" she said "I owe you big time"

"Forget about it." He smiled

X-x-x-x-x-x

"What were you thinking?" Quinn asked as she stormed out of her bedroom and to where her sister sat, looking up at her as though she was possessed

"I don't know what you are talking about?" she asked taking a sip of the beer that she had stolen from Quinn's mini bar that she herself had no intention of paying for

"This was your idea, invite him to New York you said, all will be great you said but what if it doesn't work what if it only makes things worse?" she asked clearly in her stress-fest, Taylor laughed knowing full well that these stress-fests were genetic and property of the James kids.

"Wait you took my advice?" she asked in a state of shock

"Yes Tay I took your advice, now help me out tell me what to do next" she said practically shaking her older sister

"I still can't get over the fact that someone took my advice, no one ever listens to my advice" she said in this daze

"Snap out of it Tay" Quinn snapped as the doorbell rang and she groaned "Well now it's too late, my marriage may end because I listened to the stupid advice of my sister" she said standing up, checking herself out in the mirror one last time before walking to the door and pulling it open "You're not Clay"

"Way to make a guy feel special sis" the charismatic brunette said with a cheeky smile as Taylor James appeared out of nowhere and jumped into his arms

"ISA" she screeched as Isaac James span his big sister around in a circle, Isaac James was the last James boy born into the family, he was the middle child between Taylor and Quinn so therefore spent most of his childhood in his sisters dresses and covered in makeup, not for fun but with duress. As Taylor's feet firmly hit the ground he moved on to wrap his arms around his younger sister

"Hey Isaac" she said with an excited smile, when they had grown up they would all be together every minute or every day nearly to the point of being sick of each other but as they grew up and moved away to start their futures in all different directions Quinn had missed the closeness with her siblings and crazy family, so when she got the chance to glance upon her brothers and sisters nothing else in the world registered to her, nothing was as important as returning to the mindset that they had held when they were all crammed into their family home. When the hugging eventually ended the two girls practically dragged Isaac into the hotel room, while being anxious to ask the question that perched on the tip of both their tongues, they reached breaking point as they stood watching their brother hold and play with Milo "What are you doing here?" Quinn asked taking initiative and moving out to the couch

"Wow, she is really giving me the love" Isaac said as he looked over to Taylor with a laugh "Is it suddenly a crime to come and visit two of my darling sisters?"

"Don't you mean favourite sisters? Don't mind her, Clay is coming up to visit, which was my idea by the way, and I think Quinney-pops is a bit nervous" Taylor said as she and her brother turned to face the younger sister who rolled her eyes on impact as she received the look she always got when they were growing up and a boy was coming over

"I am not nervous, he is my husband, why would I be nervous?" she asked in the most cool calm and collected way she knew how, that quickly went out the window as another knock on the door sounded, Quinn quickly jumped up and practically sprinted to the door, fumbling at the lock that kept her from her husband

"Not nervous at all apparently" Isaac said with a laugh as he passed Taylor the baby

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton sat next to the crib in the light blue room covered with drawings and shelves stacked with toys, watching as her son slept, feeling this tremendous guilt each time she stroked his black hair even though both Julian and her husband who arrived soon after told her that it was not her fault, that it was an accident. Nothing prepared you for watching your child in a hospital room, no matter how serious the circumstances, she had felt this intense kind of pain when Sawyer had had to get her tonsils out but it felt one hundred per cent more torturous when you felt as though your child was in that hospital bed because of you or because of something that you could have prevented. She was alerted to the presence of someone else in the room by the small whisper of her name; she turned and found Lindsey standing in the doorway, a teddy bear in hand.

"Hey" Peyton whispered back with a smile as she wiped away the tears and stood up

"How is he doing?" she asked as she walked over and stroked the little boys head

"Yeah he is doing okay, it's just for observation" she said indicating to the machines that surrounded the little boy "he probably thinks he is on some kind of vacation, all he ate for dinner was jello" she said with a laugh before focusing back in on him, Lindsey watched as she did so before she spoke again

"And how is his mum doing?" she asked with this kind, gentle smile as Peyton looked up to face her

"Better than she was before" Peyton said with a smile before feeling tears welling up in her eyes and looking down before abruptly looking up "Weren't you supposed to be on a flight back to your boys this afternoon?" she said looking out the window and at the stars in the sky whilst wondering how time had managed to pass by so fast

"I figured I was needed more in Tree Hill for the day than I was with my boys"

"You should have called me, I would have sent someone over to watch the girls, I am so sorry Lindsey that wasn't your responsibility"

"No it was my pleasure, you know when I left Tree Hill on Jamie's fifth birthday many, many" she laughed as she drew out the word many "Moons ago, I was left wondering if I had made the right decision, if letting Lucas go even though he loved me was the wrong thing to do or even if he would come running after me as though the whole experience would clarify to me, to us that we belonged together. And when Lucas told me that the two of you were engaged I was, for a very long time, bitter about the whole situation. While I have clearly moved on from that and I have learnt that Lucas wasn't my destiny, today when I got to hang out with your two gorgeous Peyton/ Lucas love babies, I kind of got that final confirmation that what I did, with the admitted push of 'The comet', was by far the best thing that I could have done" she said, the smile still not leaving her face but her eyes filling with tears as Peyton's hand moved to where Lindsey's sat on the blue blanket covering her son, she squeezed it as they both made eye contact with their matching tear filled eyes, no other words were needed.

X-x-x-x-x-x

Clay had been in a funk from the moment he stepped into his wife's hotel room, his party had been crashed by another loud James sibling, his baby son Milo had cried when Clay had attempted to hold him but instantly stopped when he was help by Quinn and to make matters worse he already wasn't in a peachy mood because at baggage claim his bag hadn't come out at the other end and on further investigation was still sitting at Tree Hill airport. While Taylor and Isaac had left the room 'to unpack' which was clearly code word for leave the awkward marital domestic that their little sister seemed to be holding, Quinn had maintained idle chit chat in the clear attempt to get his mind off things and make it better, this was why he loved her, it was one of those quirks that he absolutely adored when it came to his drop dead gorgeous wife but tonight he needed more than that from her, he needed conversation and he needed her to come home to him. And when things finally seemed to get in the same vicinity as the conversation he craved the front door opened and the James siblings reappeared.

"QUINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEY YYYYYYYYYYYY" Isaac practically yelled at the joy of both his sisters as he walked into the room "Want to come out clubbing?"

"Isaac thinks we need a designated, I've got to go home to my baby, time watcher and cab caller" Taylor said with a smirk as she sat down on the arm of the couch "I told him that my scandalous little sister had better things to do tonight" she added with a wink to Clay who laughed, whilst his first official meeting with Taylor James was less than desirable, with her flaunting around with Quinn's ex-husband as her boyfriend, as time passed and they all grew up a little, a lot due to the impact of Lydia's death, he had grown to have an appreciation of Taylor James and formed a nice relationship with her

"I don't know about that" Quinn said with a laugh as Clay tried to hide the disappointment that lingered from it " But Tay is right about me not being able to be your designated…..whatever, I have things to do back home but thanks for the invite"

"Your loss" he said standing up and taking his other sisters hand "How about we all go to the zoo tomorrow, take Milo, it will be really fun plus I love monkeys" he said as a side note as he practically skipped out the door.

"So I guess that we have tomorrow planned, but what do you want to do tonight?" she said with a smile as she sat down next to him

"Whatever I don't really mind" he said not even looking over at her

"Is this about Milo crying when you held him, he is a baby, sometimes he cries when people hold him, it's nothing personal"

"I guess I would know that if I was around?" he asked finally turning to her

"Yes" she said with a nod as she felt her face flare up

"Well maybe if you were back in Tree Hill with your family instead of prancing around New York taking pictures I would know that then" as anger raised in him he himself rose

"Prancing around New York taking pictures? This is my job Clay, a job that I love doing and that by the way you told me to take"

"I didn't know that it would do this to us, that you would be gone for so long and in that time I wouldn't get to see you or my son"

"So now that it doesn't fit perfectly into your little idea of what was going to happen I have to come home?"

"No Quinn it is about compromise, I'm asking you to come home for your family something that I thought was more important to you than any job. Haley and Nathan have always made compromises for each other"

"Yes, but the other one has never made that decision for the other, Haley never asked Nathan to not play basketball even with the uncertainty with his back because she knew that that was his dream and that that was his passion and who was she to take that away from him?"

"I'm not taking anything away from you, you can take photos anywhere. Do you have any idea how hard and upsetting it is to not be with your son? To not watch him grow?"

"YES! Do you think that it's not hard for me to not be with Logan, to not watch him grow up every day? To not get to see all the little milestones? Of course I understand how hard it is to be away from Milo but it isn't permanent but what you want me to do, up and leave my job with no notice will have a PERMANENT impact on my career Clay"

"Quinn I can't do this" amongst all the yelling his voice sounded like a whisper "I don't want to be a part time husband and I certainly don't want to be a part time father, I don't want to miss Milo's life the way that I missed Logan's and I don't want to wake up without you by my side" without a moment's notice she was in his arms, applying pressure onto his lips with her own before he became unstartled and took initiative, leading her backwards up the hall and into the double bed

X-x-x-x-x-x

Chase walked into the dimness of the apartment that he shared with his wife and baby daughter, he called out her name but was responded to with no answer, checking around for a note that said where his little family unit had went he started to yell out her name again but was interrupted as she ran out from the hallway, practically tippy toed and with a finger on her lips as an indication for him to be quiet, Alex took his hand and dragged him up the hallway behind her to the nursery door. The strumming of a guitar, the slow and delicate sounds that poured out of the door as he peered into the nursery over his wife's head made him instantly smile. Chris sat in the rocking chair playing the sleeping little girl a nursery rhyme, while he was so thankful and pleased that not only was Chris his best friend but that his baby girl Lila got to have an a sweet and sensitive Uncle that was going to take care of her no matter what. As the song finished and Chris put down his guitar, he walked over to the crib and placed a kiss on the little girls head, Alex nearly cried at the sweet display that she got to witness. He turned around and smiled at the sight of his turned to mush because of baby friends before walking out and closing the door

"That was so sweet Chris" Alex said placing a hand on his arm

"It was my pleasure Alex, today I realised how lucky Chase is, do you know how lucky you are man?"

"Yeah I do" Chase said as Alex looked up to him with a smile

"I mean you literally have a chick magnet that you can strap to your chest at any given moment" he said as Alex took her hand off him and looked to him in almost disgust "Look at how many numbers I got today" he said reaching into the front pocket of his shirt as Alex slapped the back of his head and walked towards the living room

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Is it morning already?" Quinn asked as she squinted one eye open and saw not only the sun streaming in through gap between where the curtain ended but also her husband carefully watching her with a smile on his face

"Mhmmmm" he said leaning in and kissing her head "New York make up sex is so much better than normal make up sex" he said with his usual Clay Evans grin as she laughed next to him "Quinn" he said turning serious

"Clay" she responded with the smile that he couldn't help but kiss yet again, he was making the most of being within tongue distance from his beautiful wife

"I don't want to fight" he said holding her hand as they looked into each other's eyes "I don't want to bring you home and fight, I just want you to be happy, if your happy I'm going to be happy"

"I know" she said putting her hand to his face

"I just miss you so much and I miss Milo" he said looking almost sad as the words left his mouth

"I can't come home Clay" she said matching his sad look

"I don't want you to" he said watching as a tear rolled down his shocked and confused wife's face

"You don't want to be with me anymore?" she asked with more tears falling freely

"No, I mean yes I want to be with you till kingdom come baby but I'm not going to ask you to leave New York anymore, we are going to power through. I mean how much longer can this job go for anyhow?" he asked with a smile

"Three more weeks" she said with a smile

"Then in three more weeks I will be the happiest man in the world" he said moving in for another kiss, they were interrupted by a loud groaning and a bang which made both the anxious new parents jump out of bed and run to the bedroom door, only to find Isaac wetting his pants with laughter and Taylor lying on the floor doing the same "What happened?" he asked with a smirk on his face

"Coffee" was the only thing that Clay could make out from the muffled face the lay on the floor over the loud laughter

"LETS GO TO THE ZOO" Quinn yelled purposely as she walked into the room with her baby son resting on her hip

X-x-x-x-x-x

"So how was last night?" Quinn asked linking arms with her sister Taylor who rested her head upon Quinn's shoulder

"So good but so bad dude" she said as she lifted the coffee cup up to her mouth

"I wish I could have come but then I don't really" she said with a laugh as her sister fought the pain and looked up to her

"Did Quinney get lucky last night?" she asked as both sisters looked at each other and laughed

"What's so funny?" Isaac asked as he dropped back and joined the girls with Clay who held Milo tightly "Can someone please tell the monkeys to shut up?"

Chapter done 

*Authors Note* I know that I left one at the top of the chapter but I have something else to add and I can't be bothered going all the way to the top and changing it around. First of all I really hope that you enjoyed the chapter and hope that you leave me some feedback or suggestions of who you want more of, what you liked, what you didn't like and I will try to cater or address those wants for you and Secondly for those who read my other story When we were young – the story of when the kids of Tree Hill are teenagers and facing problems with their parents who have been through everything already (If you haven't read it, please do) but those people who have been reading it already know that and for those people who are awaiting another chapter, it is happening its taking longer than I thought it would but it is happening. There is just a tad of a delay as I am currently studying my VCE and its heading to the crunch of it all so I have to put that as my central focus but the next chapter will be up soon, I promise


	8. Chapter 8

We Belong – Chapter eight 

Sawyer sat her bed eagerly waiting for someone to walk up the hallway and into the room because after all today was her sixth birthday and she wasn't going to pretend that she was super doper excited about it. On her birthday usually her parents would swarm her bedroom, showering her in presents before the whole family went downstairs and had her favourite birthday breakfast: Pancakes. Although this year seemed a little odd, it was already 7:30 am and neither of her parents had been in her room, she couldn't even hear them when she woke up, she wondered if aliens had landed on their roof and took her family hostage, didn't the aliens know it was her birthday? Sawyer waited another moment before the curiosity overtook her, she threw off her blankets and quietly made her way to her bedroom door so she didn't startle any remaining aliens as she went to take another step out she saw her mum walking up the hallway in the direction of her bedroom, she quickly darted back to her bed so that her mum wouldn't feel bad for not getting to say Happy Birthday to her while she was still in bed. Peyton walked past the bedroom door with Ellie on her hip without saying a word which confused Sawyer even more "Oh Sawyer" Peyton said stopping in her tracks and stepping backwards much to the delight of her eldest daughter "You better get out of bed its nearly time for school and your dad is cooking you some toast"

"What about pancakes?" she asked with a frown as her lips pouted

"Daddy only makes pancakes on special occasion's baby" Peyton said as she put Ellie down on the floor so that she could run up to the playroom

"But it is a special occasion mum" Sawyer stood up on her bed, maybe the aliens had made them take some potion that had made them forget everything or maybe they were imposters

"Really? What is so special about today?" she asked as she moved further into the doorway

"MUM IT'S MY BIRTHDAY" she yelled with a smile, in the hopes that her mum had just forgotten

"Oh Sawyer didn't we tell you?" Peyton frowned as she walked forwards and sat down on the edge of the bed patting the spot next to her for her daughter "You know how when we decided to move back to Tree Hill we told you that things might be a little different?" the blonde girl nodded "The thing is Sawyer, they don't celebrate birthdays in Tree Hill"

"What?" the little girls bottom lip dropped and her eyes glassed up "So I don't get presents?" Peyton shook her head as Sawyers little cheeks went red

"What's happening up here?" Lucas asked as he put his head in the doorway

"They don't" she sobbed "Have birthdays in Tree Hill" she said almost hyperventilating as her dad let out a very accidental laugh

"You made her cry on her birthday" Lucas asked as Sawyer's head piped up, Peyton nodded pulling a sad face before moving closer to her daughter and wrapping her arms around her

"Honey I was just kidding" she said picking her up as the birthday girl wrapped her legs around her mother's torso "Happy Sixth birthday my gorgeous baby girl, I didn't mean to make you cry" she said as she turned to face Lucas still pulling the 'I'm a horrid mother' face as he tried not to laugh, he walked around to the other side of his wife and knelt down so he was staring into the eyes of his now six year old daughter

"Happy birthday baby" he said pushing curls out of his daughters eyes, unsure on whether they were her own or if they were his wife's "How about you come and have some Happy Birthday pancakes before school?" he said as Peyton gave her one more tight squeeze and another hug before putting her down on the floor where she promptly grabbed her dads hand and smiled up at him. They walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where her Grandma Karen who has Leo on her hip, her Aunty Lily and her GrAndy popped party poppers at her, as she ran forward for them all to wish her a happy birthday while her parents stepped back and looked at each other, remaining serious for a moment before breaking into laughter

"I was the first person she talked to on her birthday and I made her cry, I am a horrible mum"

"Far from it" Lucas said putting a hand on her lower back as she hugged into the side of him and placed her head on his shoulder as he kissed the top of her head

"I've probably traumatised her for life"

"I think she'll survive" they said watching as Andy hoisted the little girl in the air in a mixture of curls and giggles, as he put her back on the ground she turned to her parents and gave them a cheeky smile before turning her attention to the birthday present that her grandparents had brought over.

"You go get her birthday present and meet me back here" she whispered as he nodded and snuck out of the room "Hey birthday girl you seem to have forgotten your birthday crown" Peyton picked up the plastic pink crown before placing it on the smiling girls head before she returned to opening her presents, as she unwrapped the last layer of paper she let out a scream "What is it baby?" Peyton asked as she picked Leo up and placed him at the table

"A CD PLAYER THANKYOU" she exclaimed with such joy that Peyton thought she was going to wet her pants in excitement she couldn't wait until she got the present from herself and Lucas "Where is Daddy?" she asked as though she could read her mums mind

"Well baby he has just gone to get your birthday present and…" she looked over at the opening patio doors "I think he's got it" Sawyer turned around as a little puppy ran into the room

"IT'S A PUPPY" Sawyer screamed at a decibel that made Peyton glad that there was a dog there because it would the only one that could translate what she said, she bolted from her chair nearly taking the plate of pancakes with her, Leo whinged and fidgeted until his grandma Karen picked him up and took him over to the dog as well.

"Wow Sawyer aren't you lucky?" Karen asked as she watched two of her grandchildren fawn over the gorgeous Labrador pup whilst the other one clung to Peyton's leg seemingly petrified of the active pup

"Thankyou mummy and daddy" she said briefly looking up at them before turning her attention back to the dog

"What are you going to name it?" Peyton leant down and picked Ellie up before sitting down on the couch

"Umm" she said as she looked more carefully at the dog "I think I want to call it Captain Fluffy" Sawyer said looking up to her father for approval

"I don't think that's a very good idea"

"Lucas" Peyton said in a serious tone that was laced with laughter

"Let's remember who is going to have to walk this dog in the park while Sawyer is still little and who is going to have to call out for captain fluffy" Lucas stated with a smile

"Okay Sawyer how about we think about a different name?" she asked with an over enthusiastic smile in an attempt to get her daughter to respond in a positive way

"That's probably a good idea" Andy added as they all turned to him "Captain Fluffy is a girl"

"Snooki, we could name her Snooki" Lucas said as he moved his hand from the thinking position on his chin to pointing out in front of him

"You want our daughter to name her puppy after a girl on Jersey Shore"

"Don't let Lucas name your dog" Karen added with a smile "I did"

"What's wrong with the name rocket mum?" he asked a little outraged

"It's just so boy like and butch"

"THERES A NAME" Lucas exclaimed "Butch"

"I get your point" Peyton said with a laugh "Hey Sawyer is he a Gangster dog because in that case we could call him DAWG" she joked as her daughter and husband looked at her with this same judging look which made her sit backwards in her seat "Why didn't we get a dog that already had a name?" she asked over to Lily and Karen who had sat down next to her.

"What about Willow?" Sawyer asked as the room fell silent around her

"That is perfect darling" Lucas said leaning down next to her

"And her middle name could be Snooki Dawg" she added with a smile at both of her parents

"Okay then we are in agreement the dog's name will be Willow Snooki Dawg Scott"

"WSDS for short" Lucas said with a laugh as their front door opened and a voice boomed

"WHERE IS THE BIRTHDAY GIRL" Sawyer quickly jumped up and ran to the door with Willow at her side

"GRANDPA LARRY" she said as she jumped into his arms

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I've brought supplies" Brooke said as she stepped out onto the patio with a box in her arms

"WATCH YOUR STEP" Peyton yelled before Brooke could step in the dog poo that was mere centimetres from her gorgeous blue shoes "Sorry, Willow isn't toilet trained yet" she said running over with a plastic bag and scooping it up into it before sealing the bag

"Willow? Did you and Lucas pop out another baby while I wasn't watching?" she asked with a smile

"We got Sawyer a puppy for her birthday" Peyton said with a smile as Brooke gave her the approving nod "Which will probably make up for me making her cry this morning, but this….." Peyton said as she grabbed the box from Brooke, put it down on the table and then dragged her into the backyard "Will definitely make up for it"

"What is it?" Brooke asked as they both looked at the giant box like thing that was covered in a sheet and seemed to have steps coming from it with the addition of a thousand streamers. Peyton delicately lifted the sheet and showed her with a smile

"It's a cubby house, Lucas made it" she said with this giddy pride

"That is so cool" Brooke said trying to level herself to see it better "Wait you made Sawyer cry on her birthday"

"I may have told her that they don't celebrate birthdays in Tree Hill, you said that my kids wouldn't think I was an evil bitch mum"

"Actually I told you that they would never CALL you an evil bitch mum" she said with a laugh as Peyton mocked insult and then stepped forward for a B Davis hug that was interrupted by the ringing of a phone from inside the house

"Hold that thought" Peyton said almost skipping up the steps into the house; Brooke had to say that it was lovely seeing how happy her best friend was these days. Brooke picked up from where Peyton left off decorating the back yard for Sawyer's birthday party when Peyton came back outside "Hey I have to go, that was Sawyers teacher apparently she isn't feeling well and she really wants to come home, I bet you it has nothing to do with it being her birthday" Peyton said with a smile as Brooke put a tack into the three to hold up the decorative string of flags

"I used to do that all the time"

"Well that is my plan foiled, not only is there dog poo everywhere but now Sawyer has to come home and all this won't be a surprise because I'll have to keep setting up regardless, oh and she will want to know what is under the sheet and Lucas won't be home to show it to her"

"Calm your farm Peyt"

"You spend way too much time with Haley" Peyton said with a laugh

"Look how about you come and help me get the rest of the food out of the car and then I will go and pick Sawyer up from school, keep her distracted for you for a while and you can call me when you're done, Hell I can keep her until schools out and drop her home once I have picked up Jude and Davis, whatever I'm easy"

"Oh I love you Brooke Davis Baker" She said standing on her tiptoes and hugging her best friend, Brooke in heels was a lot taller than Peyton without any shoes on at all

X-x-x-x-x-x

Brooke stood at the door of Sawyer's classroom with her bag over her shoulder, dressed in Jeans, a white t-shirt and her killer blue heels watching through the glass window that was built in the door as the teacher walked over to Sawyer's desk and alerted her to Brooke's presence, she watched as the six year old girl looked up at her and involuntarily smiled before realising that she was supposed to be sick and pulling a sad face.

"Aunty Brooke" the little girl tried to hide her excitement in a lower tone

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAGICAL SAWYER" Brooke whisper hoarsely as she picked up the girl and span her around quickly saying "Thankyou" to the teacher quickly she headed up the hallway with Sawyer on her hip "So I hear you are sick? Being sick on your birthday sucks"

"Have you ever been sick on your birthday?" Sawyer asked leaning back from her so that she could see her aunts face

"Love sick once"

"Oh I know the feeling" Sawyer responded to the surprise of Brooke "There is a boy named Frankie in my class and I always give him my juice boxes but he doesn't want to date me" she said shaking her head as she finished talking

"That sucks man" Brooke said as she reached the car, found her keys and unlocked the door

"Can I sit in the front seat Brookie?" Sawyer asked with all the charm in the world

"Well since you are such a big girl now I think it would be okay, If you had of asked me yesterday I would have had to say no" she said walking Sawyer over to the other side of the car, helped her in and then buckled her up "Hey Sawyer how sick are you really?" she asked with her charming Brooke Davis face, the face she had been rocking her whole life

"Very, very sick" she responded as though she thought her aunt was going to march her right back into the school and make her go back into class for the day

"Oh well that's a shame" Sawyer looked at her confused "I mean I haven't had a chance to buy you a birthday present yet and I thought maybe you could come with me to pick something out but if you are really, really sick maybe I should take you home and make Julian go and buy your birthday present, what did he get you last year?"

"I only feel a little bit sick, not too sick for shopping" she said with a shy smile hoping that her aunty would agree

"Good" Brooke said with a smile before shutting the car door and walking to the driver's seat

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Nice place you've got here" the male voice said behind her as she stood on a ladder putting up some of the last decorations before she had to sort of food and drinks, she turned around and turned into her six year old daughter, she bolted towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck

"Derek what are you doing here? Did you break in again?" she asked with a laugh

"Nah Skills let me in, he knew where the spare key was and the beers were getting cold" she laughed in a shocked manner "And I'm here for my nieces sixth birthday is that a crime these days?" he asked with a laugh as she hugged him once again

"Is Mandy with you?" Peyton asked looking over his shoulder with a twinge of excitement

"Andre and Mia have some sporting thing tomorrow morning and we couldn't guarantee that they could make it home in time so Mandy sends her love" A baby cry was heard over the baby monitor that sat on the patio table and they both headed in the direction of the open Patio doors as they walked into the house a voice from up the stairs bellowed

"I've got her"

"THANKS SKILLS" she yelled back up before turning to speak to her brother she noticed something out of the corner of her eye "What is that?"

"It's Sawyer's birthday present" he said as she laughed and walked towards it

"Is that what I think it is?" she said with a hand on the torso of a male that Derek has introduced her to many, many moons ago

"She really liked Mia's when she came up to stay with us for that weekend and I thought she needed one, you and Lucas can decide when to give it to her but I figured when she was old enough you could teach her to be as kick ass as her mama is"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Clay sat on the couch wrapping the barbie doll that he and Logan had picked out for Sawyer in matching barbie wrapping paper, he really needed Quinn to come home just on the basis of all the birthday presents that he had to buy that really needed some more femininity to them. He got the paper into the perfect position, a position he was proud of when he realised that while he had got the scissors, the present and the paper he had neglected to grab the sticky tape before now, he cursed to himself and considered his options, he could hope that he could yell loud enough up the hallway to get over Logan's loud music to alert his son to his predicament, he could activate his new smart phone with his elbow and use voice activation to call someone that could come over and get him the sticky tape or he could let go of the wrapping paper, walk over to the kitchen, get the sticky tape and Oy presto he would have all the ingredients he needed to wrap this present. Clay chose the latter figuring that if someone caught him doing either of the other he would be incredibly embarrassed. Clay walked into the kitchen and fiddled through the draws, which hadn't been organised since Quinn left, trying desperately to find the sticky tape that had been moved somewhere that he just couldn't see, he quickly scurried over to the desk knowing that he was going to be late to the birthday party if he didn't get his act together because it was going to take ages to get Logan out of the house, he had his head in the desk drawer, getting more and more frustrated as each movement he made refused to reveal the sticky tape

"What are you looking for?" her voice asked behind him

"Just the sticky tape" he responded involuntarily before realising who it was and turning around "Quinn?"

"In the flesh" she said with a grin the could fill the whole of Tree Hill as he walked over and embraced her

"Hey baby boy" he said directing his gaze to the baby that sat on his wife's hip dressed in a t-shirt, socks and a nappy

"Say Hey Daddy" she said to her son as Clay picked Milo up out of Quinn's arms

"HEY LOGAN" he yelled hoping that the music would be at a lower volume and that the boy would hear him

"My gosh has our boy reached the stage of being in his room listening to music?"

"Seems like it" Clay said with a laugh "I'll go and get him"

"Wait Clay I need to tell you something before we go and see Logan" he couldn't tell if what she was about to tell him was a good or bad thing, he assessed his environment and went from there

"Are those suitcases I see?" he asked with a coy smile that he wasn't sure if he should reveal just yet

"They would be suitcases; Taylor is going to bring the rest back with her at the end of the week"

"Are you coming home to me?" he asked scooting closer towards Quinn

"Well when I found out the news I didn't really want to be away from you any longer"

"The news? Quinney are you okay?"

"I'm fine"

"Is Milo okay?"

"Milo is great"

"Is it Taylor, is she sick?" he asked in a state of panic that only his wife's kiss could bring him out of "What is the news?" he asked more calmly this time

"Clay I'm pregnant" she said with a smile as he turned into a frozen statue

"How? You just had that one" he said barely blinking

"Well Clay when a mummy and a daddy love each other very much…" she said with a laugh

"I know how, I mean when?"

"Well Clay my love, when was the last time that you had sex? And you better answer that question carefully and correctly"

"The night before the zoo?"

"I love that you remember the monkeys but you don't remember the last time we had sex? From what I remember it was pretty good too and I'm not talking about the monkeys"

"Oh I remember the sex" he said with a creepy laugh "Can we stop saying sex around the baby?"

"Which one?" she asked with another large grin, she was pretty excited about the expansion of her little Evans bunch

"You're pregnant" he said with an equally as large smile before he came forward to hug her

"Are you okay with that?" she asked on a serious note

"Are you kidding me? I'm more than okay with that" he said kissing her one more time before they shared one of their married telepathic brain thoughts, both standing up and fast walking up the hall yelled "LOGAN" simultaneously

"Mum?" was all they could hear as they approached his door

X-x-x-x-x-x

"What did you get Sawyer?" Peyton asked from her position on the steps of the patio with the rest of the adults looking down at the circle of kids watching as Sawyer opened her birthday presents well other than Leo and Sam who were too little to understand the concept of sitting down and being quiet whilst watching someone else get all the presents, she looked forward to watching over this video one day and watching Haley jog around in the background with the two Scott boys one with blonde hair and one with black hair.

"A WATER GUN" she said holding it above her head, she knew the protocol "Thanks Uncle Skills" she smiled up at him before putting it down and heading towards the next present "This one is from Aunty Brookie and Uncle Julian" she said before ripping into the paper to reveal the make-up kit that she had requested from her happy to oblige aunt

"I would have got her that" Julian murmured to his laughing wife, he was still a little bit cut up that Brooke had called him after he had picked out his own present for Sawyer

"Did you?"

"No" he responded "But my present was still pretty good"

"You should give it to her anyway" Brooke said turning to face Julian with a smile

"Oh I did, she is opening it right now" he said with a cheeky smile as she turned to watch what his oh so great present was

"Did you get her a whole bunch of stuffed angry birds?" she asked with a laugh knowing the full reason why he had gotten them for her, Sawyer had become obsessed with the game on her Uncle Julian's phone and it had become one of the first things she requested when she was bored "You're right, your present is pretty great" she said with a smile as he kissed her hard on the lips

"Ease up guys it's a six year olds birthday party" Larry Sawyer joked as he sat down next to the pair

"Oh my god I feel like I'm in high school again, Larry here was sort of my surrogate dad, my dad away from home"

"This isn't the first time I've had to tell her to ease up on the kissing either" he laughed as she lightly slapped his arm "Are you blushing Brooke?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"What is the party over already?" Clay asked walking into the house with one son at his side and one in his arms

"Dude it's 7.30 and it was a six year olds birthday party" Peyton picked up and many plastic cups as she could, this was like one of the keg parties that she so infamously attended in high school except this time the punch was actual punch.

"WHOA where did you get that baby from?" Haley asked stepping forward pointing to the nephew in his arms

"Quinney's back" he said with a smile that was instantly replicated on the face of Haley before she walked over and squeezed Logan's head in her hands before kissing him on the forehead and then doing the same to Clay as she scooped baby Milo out of his arms

"Where is that sister of mine?" she asked sort of hoping that Quinn would walk in

"She is pretty tired from the flight home"

"And the pregnant stuff" Logan added as Clay cringed "Oh I wasn't supposed to say anything" Logan said looking at his dad apologetically

"It's fine buddy" Clay said before turning back to Peyton and Haley who had reacted in the same way that he had other than mentioning monkey's

"You guys are having another baby?" Haley cooed with tears in her eyes

"Yeah but you can't tell anyone else yet it's new and you'll both have to pretend to be surprised when Quinn tells you okay" he stated as both girls nodded at him, thank goodness little Ellie Scott with her dummy and PJ's ran up and wrapped herself around Peyton's leg

"Is Willow chasing you baby?" she asked hoisting the little nodding girl off the ground, her straight blonde hair tied up in a cute little pony tail that Haley couldn't help but touch

"Hey Peyton Sawyer" Nathan yelled over from his position in the living room, he still hadn't grasped the idea that she was now Peyton Scott, he had known her for the majority of his life and the majority of the time he had known her she was a Sawyer not a Scott, for his brain it was just such a foreign concept that her name had changed

"Yeah" she said as she walked over to where the bulk of the adults sat, the kids were in the play room watching a D.V.D

"Wii Tennis, You and me, How about it?" he asked as she laughed

"Cause that went so well last time" she smirked as he did the same both at the same time remembering that Sunday night dinner where someone brightly suggest a nice friendly competition, it was like a round robin who ever won their heat would go through to the finale and those who didn't would watch the kids and be the cheer squad, Nathan and Peyton had gotten to the grand slam and it was a tie, there was one remaining set and whoever won that set would win the title of 'CHAMPION' and fifty bucks, at the last minute just before Nathan could win he tripped not only in Wii life but in real life over a toy on the floor meaning Peyton had free reign over the tennis court and won the last set, it had been a topic that had provided hysterical debates between the two at many Sunday night dinners and many play dates since

"It only didn't go well last time because you cheated" he said as she turned to him with a look of outrage

"I did not cheat, it's on video I can show you how I didn't cheat and if you say home court advantage I swear I will kill you Nathan Scott" she argued back

"Prove it" Nathan provoked with a smile as the rest of the group backed slowly away, Peyton looked at Nathan for a moment before turning around and passing Ellie to her dad

"Fine let's do this" she said before tying up her hair as Nathan stretched. Lucas offered to be the referee in the sudden death match and passed his brother and then his wife one of the two Wii remotes, it was on like Donkey Kong

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Well the birthday girl is out" Lucas said walking into his bedroom "She is already making the most of her birthday presents" he said as he undressed himself and got into his PJ's "She has given that punching torso thing that your brother gave her a makeover with that new make-up kit Brooke got her and she threw angry birds at me when I walked into the room, must thank Julian for that one" he said with a laugh "And now she is snuggled up with Willow, it's pretty cute, don't worry I got pictures" he said as he sat down on the bed he realised that Peyton was sniffling and trying hard to hide it "What's up Peyt? Is your ankle still hurting?" she shook her head "are you still upset that you made Sawyer cry this morning? Because let me tell you this that little girl is so loved and today proved that and she knows that her mama is crazy about her and she loves you for it" he said wiping away a tear that slid down her cheek

"No it's not that but thank you" she said with a smile "It's silly, I was trying to find the video of Nathan and my Wii Tennis match to prove once and for all that I didn't cheat"

"And you had cheated?" Lucas asked with a confused squint going on

"No! I found a video of Sawyer and I just realised how big she is getting and she is just going to keep getting bigger and bigger and there is nothing we can do about it, tomorrow we'll probably wake up and she will be twenty one"

"Whoa lets slow it down babe" he said with a laugh as he pressed his lips to her cheek

"Where did all the time go? It seems like just yesterday that I woke up from that coma and your mum brought her in in that little blue dress with the pink flowers and her little tiny baby socks and now she is six" she said sobbing into her husband's side "Why don't people tell you when you have kids that one day they are going to grow up?"

"I think it's just kind of implied Peyt" he laughed as she looked up at him with her serious bloodshot eyes

"Don't talk to me like I'm not being rational" she said with her bottom lip quivering and a tear rolling down her cheek "I know I'm not rational" she said as he held her closer and took the remote out of her hands, making most of the fact that the video recorder was still plugged into the television and at the click of a few buttons he would be where he needed to be

"Peyton Sawyer Scott how about we end this night from the start" he asked as she looked up at him curiously and then back to the T.V as he pressed the 'ok' button

The camera was zoomed into a door the was opened

"_What's happening in here?" the male voice asked behind the camera as he walked into the room_

"_Shh" Haley and Brooke both turned around and said at the same time "we've just got her to sleep" _

"_Scratch that" Brooke said as the little girl began to whimper_

"_Apparently we haven't" Haley said with a frown to the camera _

"_Hey baby girl, hey bubba Scott" Brooke repeated as she rocked the three day old baby from side to side in an attempt to soothe her "Oh it can't be that bad, no it can't" Brooke said before wiping a tear from under her eye "You go to Aunty Haley, I'm going to go and get you a bottle" she said carefully passing the little girl to a concerned Haley who took over the rocking process before turning to the camera, more importantly the man behind it and gave him the look, the camera followed as he spanned away from Haley and the baby who was yet to have a name and out of the nursery into the familiar hallways of Lucas' house, it stopped when he reached the kitchen when he reached Brooke hunched over at the sink. The video picked up again with a happier Brooke walking back into the nursery with a bottle in hand _

"_Do you want to feed her?" Haley asked the man behind the camera with a smile as she held the soothed baby, Brooke walked over and passed the man the bottle before taking the camera off him so that he could go and feed her, the man was soon revealed to be Nathan _

"_Come to the master baby girl" he said as his wife smiled to him as he sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib before being passed the baby_

"When was that?" Peyton asked looking up to her husband as the next video clicked through

"When you were in the coma, before mum got there, the three of them took turns in coming and staying at the house with Sawyer so that I could be at the hospital with you. You should have seen Nathan trying to put the car seat in when we were allowed to take Sawyer home" he sombrely laughed

"They all looked so sad" Peyton said in concern as she looked at another video that Nathan had filmed because he hadn't wanted Peyton to feel as though she had missed out on the first few days of Sawyer's life

"We didn't know if you were going to wake up" he said gripping his wife tighter as they both turned back to the video "This must have been the same day"

"How do you know?"

"The state of my hair" he said as they both turned their attention back

"_She is pretty cute isn't she?" Nathan asked the older man who stared contently down at the baby girl _

"_She is a stunner" he said looking up to the camera "She looks just like Peyton, bet she is going to make the boys run around like crazy after her just like her mama too, you know what I'm talking about" Whitey said with a wink to a briefly laughing Nathan "How is Lucas doing?" _

"_As can be expected really" he responded to Whitey "Karen is on her way" _

"_And how are you doing son?" he asked as Nathan brought the camera down and pressed the stop record button _

"Okay babe lets skip the next couple of ones please" Peyton said as she wiped a tear, somehow she had managed to never see these videos 

"Way ahead of you" Lucas said as he skipped three videos before setting the remote down on his leg

"_What day is it today?" he asked the camera, from his voice alone you could tell he was smiling the same way that the woman on the screen was _

"_Today is the day that I get to leave the hospital" she said looking up briefly from her daughter to Lucas behind the camera _

"_And what is in your arms?" _

"_This is Sawyer Scott" she said as her smile grew larger and larger, larger than humanly possible _

"_Who is that?" the camera shaking from his excitement and his laughter _

"_That's our baby" she cooed looking down at the sleeping baby _

"_Is she too heavy? I can hold her, or I can get mum to hold her if you want me to keep filming" _

"_She's perfect, I'm never letting her go" Peyton said as she smiled down at the baby_

"Aww" Peyton said as she turned to Lucas with an expanding smile "And I haven't wanted to since"

"Other than when she went through her waking up every hour on the hour stage or those terrible two's"

"That doesn't count" Peyton laughed

_The camera turned on and zoomed in on Lucas' Bum, his legs high in the air "Oh" Peyton said with a snort as she re-adjusted the lens and zoomed out onto what she was trying to tape. Sawyer was lying on her dads feet as he held her hands and made aeroplane noises, Sawyer giggled as Peyton walked around to the spare side of the bed and lay down next to her husband pointing the camera up at the little joyful chubby face of their beautiful daughter "Look at how high you are Sawy"_

The video of Sawyer walking for the first time on the beach still managed to produce tears in both of her parents even though it had been the moment when she became mobile and had the ability to literally run circles around her defenceless parents

"_Okay baby you ready?" Peyton asked as the little girl nodded back at her "Who is this for?"_

"_AUNTY HALEY" the little girl exclaimed with her hands on her bottom lips _

"_Say Hi Aunty Haley we miss you and we love you" instead of replying the little girl simply smiled "I'm going to press play now" she said as the camera briefly left the girls face and the music started playing "Okay go" she whispered as the music began _

"_Ah-ah-ah-ah" the little girl sung with her eyes shut as her mum tried to hide her laugher "gotta be Vis one" she said showing one of her index fingers to the camera _

"_You can take it" she continued to sing determined to keep in time with the song "What if I told you that your tears" the word tears came with a hand movement of Sawyer wiping her fingers down her face from the bottom of her eyes "been ignored"_

"When was that?" Lucas asked between manic bursts of laughter

"I don't know some rainy day when you were out, I'm going to sign her to Red Bedroom Records one day" she said with a laugh

"She is pretty great"

"_Okay Mum go" the two year old said as her mum pressed the play button and the rap-tastic came through the speaker system that her parents just couldn't live without __**"Shawty has them apple bottom Jeans" **__Sawyer sang along as she pranced around the living room, krumping, spinning, jumping around the camera started shaking as the little girl put one hand on either side of her pull-ups and shook her little nappy wearing bum around "Ma dance" the little girl said as she directed her gaze to her laughing mother who quickly obliged and began dancing with her, laughing as Sawyer requested she replicated some of her dance moves_

"We created a monster" she said in a whole new pile of tears, happy tears

"Don't bring me into it" he smiled over at his wife "You're the one that danced with her"

"Yeah like you can say no to those big Blue eyes of hers" Peyton responded

"_Sawyer come here and watch this" Peyton said over to her daughter who was happily scribbling away on the floor of the hospital room "Do you want to see the baby?" Peyton asked as the little girl jumped to her feet, walked over to her mum who hoisted her up onto her knee _

"_I can't see any babies mum" she said in all seriousness as she looked up to Peyton_

"_We have to wait for the doctor to come" Lucas added from behind the camera _

"_Why does lexa get to lie down?" _

"_Cause the doctor can't see the baby if I don't" Alexis responded to the little girl with a smile, they were glad that they had found her, she was a lovely girl and she was wonderful friend to them but also to Sawyer _

"_Are we ready to see this baby?" the female doctor asked as she walked into the room, the camera stayed on the three girls in the room who all ferociously nodded at the same time, Sawyer looked nervous as she nuzzled backwards into Peyton watching closely as the doctor lifted Alexis' hospital gown, applied gel and then put the weird thing on her stomach _

"_Does that hurt?" she asked leaning forward and whispering to Alexis _

"_Nah baby it's just slimy" Alexis said not able to hear a response from Sawyer as the room was filled with the noise of the baby's heart beat _

"_Oh my that is amazing" Peyton said as her eyes welled up _

"_Very strong heart beat " _

"_Do you know what that is Sawyer?" Lucas asked as she turned to the camera and shook her head "That is the sound of the baby's heart" he watched as her eyes lit up and an awestricken amazed looked appeared across her face _

"_Really?" she asked turning back to the camera again _

They made it through about 100 family movies when they finally reached one of the most recent, the three kids ran around in the backyard under the sprinkler screaming and laughing, Lucas turned to Peyton to remind her that they had created the three kids in that video when he noticed her eyelids were shut. He turned off the television and then light before sliding back down into bed with his wife "Come here Captain Snuggles" she said as he laughed and slid over closer to her so that she could sleep on his chest "I think we've done a pretty great job"

"We have" he said sinking down into the bed and kissing his wife on the lips before closing his eyes, that was another Sawyer birthday done and dusted for the year.

To be continued 

*Authors note* Thank you for reading I really hope you enjoyed it, it was a day's effort so it might not be my best work but I figured I would get it out there. If you have gotten down here and you are really confused the moments in italics are the home movies or the memories from those home movies, I tried to put at least one gap between them so that it was a little more clear.

Send me a personal message or write a review about this chapter and also let me know who you want some more of or who you would like me to focus on in the next chapter, I do know that there will have to be some Quinn and Clay stuff dealing with her return from New York and the changes that have occurred in both of their lives because of it. Hope you enjoyed Sawyer's sixth birthday party

Maggie


	9. Chapter 9

_We Belong – Chapter nine _

_Haley walked from the kitchen of Karen's café with the empty dish tray resting on her hip, a smile on her face as her shoes clunked across the floor boards; she loved the atmosphere and the memories of chatting and laughter that this place held for her. Going into business with one of her best friends had provided great challenge but even better rewards, Brooke was the most hysterical, infuriating, loving and crazy person she knew and she was…..crouched down behind the counter with her head sticking around the side of it. Haley laughed to herself before walking over as quietly as she could before crouching down next to her "What are you doing?" she whispered to her as Brooke jumped and turned around with a surprised look on her face _

"_Are you trying to give me a heart attack Hales?" she asked in a hoarse whisper _

"_I'm going to go back to my first question, what are you doing?" Haley asked her face engulfed with a smile _

"_Well Quinn and Clay are having an argument" _

"_What?" Haley asked suddenly concerned about her recently returned and recently pregnant sister _

"_It's pretty awkward, see for yourself" she whispered back as Haley tried to walk around the bench still in a crouched down position "You look like a crab" Brooke laughed as quietly as she could as Haley put her finger to her lips as though to silence her before walking back over to her _

"_What started it?" Haley asked _

"_Well they were eating breakfast together, they must have just dropped Logan off at school, but that's not important, Milo started getting fussy and Clay tried to pick him up to comfort him and he was rocking Milo, which made Milo cry harder, so Quinney stood up and told him 'rocking unsettles him' and then when Clay tried to do something else she went 'stop, stop, stop just give him to me it will be easier' and that upset Clay and caused the argument" _

"_Whoa brutal" Haley said with a gulp as Brooke turned to look at her usually very fluent friend "What?" she asked shrugging her shoulders as Brooke shook her head _

"_Wait if you are here and Clay is here then Nathan is at Fortitude? And your two children are?" _

"_At home with each other" she said with a nervous whispery laugh _

"_What was that?" Brooke asked as her ears picked up on some piece of information from the argument, she waited for her brain to analyse it and then turned back to Haley "Quinn's pregnant?" she asked as Haley nodded before both of the girls went into hysterical silent kind of like mime squeals of excitement, leaving them oblivious to the fact that the door of the café was opening _

"_Is everything okay here?" the black haired woman asked as she concernedly looked at each member of the couple  
"Yeah everything is fine" Clay said momentarily calming himself down and putting a smile on his face "In fact I was just leaving, Are you coming with me Quinn?" he asked with a cough that one got when they were nervous or unsettled and the saliva built up near their vocal cords _

"_I promised that I would spend the day with Haley" Quinn lied as she tried to hold back the tears in her eyes, the truth was she really couldn't handle maintaining this argument right now "I'll be home soon to put Milo down for his nap"_

"_I guess that means you're keeping him with you" he said gritting his teeth but with a sad over glow covering the mood of the room, she nodded and he stepped forward before placing a kiss on both the cheeks of his wife and infant son before walking out the door_

"_You sure you're okay?" Karen asked as Quinn wiped a tear away from under her eye _

"_I'll be fine, I'm just going to go to the bathroom and clean myself up a little, then I'm going to find Hales, I don't want her to see me like this" Haley instantly felt this pang in her heart for her sister _

"_How about I take him for you?" Karen indicated to the baby in Quinn's arms that she promptly handed over _

"_Thankyou" she said before walking out of the room and to the bathroom _

"_Now where could your Aunty Haley and Brooke be" Karen asked bouncing the boy on her hip, thanking the lucky stars that the café was in a lull for Quinn's sake, she walked to clear the table when the two women popped up from behind the counter top "Where did you two spring from?" _

"_You know just around and about" Brooke fielded as Haley smirked _

"_And what were you doing whilst you were around and about?" Karen quipped _

"_Beep" Haley answered as both the women turned to her "We heard a beeping noise behind the counter and we were…"_

"_Trying to find it"_

"_We were trying to find it" Haley repeated with an air of satisfaction in her tone, she thought it was pretty successful _

"_Did you find it?" Karen had known these girls especially Haley for most of their lives, she knew their lying faces and she knew how much trouble they could get into together _

"_Well it stopped beeping" Brooke said with a ' isn't that amazing' laugh, watching as Karen continued to analyse the situation "So Haley here left both her kids home alone today" Brooke stated to change the subject _

"_I'm really nervous about it. Jamie does it all the time, he is old enough to hang out at home by himself for the day or for an afternoon but Lydia is still little and I still need her to have pretty much constant supervision"_

"_She is four and a half, how much trouble can she get into?" Brooke asked as Haley gave her the look "apparently she can get into that much trouble" she responded mainly to herself with a laugh _

"_She once coloured in one of the twins with texta and we only left her alone for five minutes" Haley said with a frown "Anyway we had her booked in for the holiday program today at school but she said she didn't feel like it and whilst we were in the middle of convincing her or mainly telling her that she had to go and that it would be fun Jamie walked past with the bright idea of Lydia staying home with him" _

"_Oh"_

"_An idea which she promptly jumped at, Jamie is just trying to show us that he is growing up and that he can be trusted with important things and his heart was in the right place but it isn't doing wonders for my heart right now"_

"_Call him up, say you think that you left something at home and you need him to check and while he is checking you can also check on the status of your children"_

"_Oh I did that"_

"_See look at you go HJS"_

"_I told him that I had forgotten my phone, whilst on the phone to him" _

"_He might have thought you called him from the café phone" Karen said with a shrug of her shoulders_

"_Our phone has caller idea, he knows, and he quickly told me to leave him alone to do his thing" Haley said grabbing a clean fork and putting it into the chocolate cake as Karen and Brooke looked at each other with a smirk and quirked eyebrows while Karen picked up the knife and sliced off the piece of cake that Haley had dug into, put it into a bowl and passed it back to Haley, all with baby in arms, she was pretty impressive "Tell me something else to keep my mind off it please" _

"_Can do, Sammy is coming up to visit us this afternoon, says she has some mega news that she can't wait to share with us"_

"_What do you reckon it will be?" Haley asked shovelling another forkful of cake into her mouth _

"_I have this feeling that my girl is going to come back and live in Tree Hill" she said with excitement that she just couldn't hide _

"_Thanks Karen" Quinn said as she walked back into the café "Do you want me to take him?" she asked as she stood with the three women who all turned to look at her, Haley and Brooke both trying their best to not let Quinn know that they had heard the whole argument between Quinn and her husband_

"_Hey Quinney" Haley said with a smile as her sister looked back at her, briefly smiled and then broke down in tears "Oh Honey" Haley said as she at the speed of lightening wangled herself out from behind the counter into her sisters arms "What's wrong?" she asked as she rubbed her hand across Quinn's back in concentric circles Quinn responded into the space between her sisters neck and shoulder "I'm sorry honey I didn't get that" _

"_How about we go sit down?" Brooke said noticing the consistent lull in customers on a Monday morning before directing Quinn and Haley to a table _

"_I've got him you guys go ahead" Karen said as she rocked the content little boy _

"_What's happening Quinn?" _

"_It's Clay, it's the Milo, It's Logan, It's being home again, it's the pregnancy..."_

"_MY GOD YOUR PREGNANT?" Brooke yelled to cover her tracks as Haley tried not to laugh and as Quinn let out at least one genuinely happy smile _

"_It is just everything" Quinn said before sobbing into her hands as Haley rested her hand upon her older sisters back "I never would have gone to New York if I knew that this was how it was going to affect the life that I already had, I never would have left if I had of known that coming back would be so hard" she gulped looking up to her sister with her big blood shot eyes "Clay and I are fighting, Milo is incredibly unsettled and Logan is seriously craving my attention and is acting up to get it and I'm just exhausted" _

"_Baby girl" Haley said moving her chair forward and wrapping her arms around her sister "Everything is going to work out fine" _

"_How do you know that Haley? How do you know that this isn't going to be what tips Clay and I over the edge?" Haley laughed "I'm dead serious" _

"_You and Clay have made it through so much stuff, a psycho-stalker, a divorce, a shooting, some weird sleep walking thing, a surprise child and you two have been so incredibly resilient throughout it all because you love each other more than anything else in the world. This is just a challenge, a challenge that anyone faces when they leave home for a long duration of time, I've experienced it. It's completely normal"_

"_You promise?"_

"_I pinkie promise it, How about you come over to my house tonight and we have a girls night? We can drink wine and chat"_

"_It's a good idea but first of all I can't drink and second how is it going to help with Clay and me if I'm not at home?"_

"_From what I understand Clay doesn't think that you trust him with Milo" Brooke said as Haley kicked her under the table for nearly giving away that they had heard the whole argument "I mean I think that that could be a reason, Ow" she whispered to Haley _

"_Maybe leaving Milo with Clay will not only let him know that you trust him but also give him some bonding time with Milo. You can bring Logie with you as well so he feels like he is special because Jamie will be there and he got a new game that Logan really likes" _

"_Okay" Quinn said looking up to her sister with a smile as her tears dried up "Sounds like a plan"_

_X-x-x-x-x-x_

"_Hey" she said over enthusiastically to her husband who had slept in and recoiled backwards as she spoke to him, ah what could Peyton say Lucas wasn't really a morning person _

"_Are you okay?" he asked with a squinty gaze _

"_Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" she said as she reached for the orange juice on the dining room table, dodging the loud noises from her children who ran around at her feet and the puppy dog that followed them _

"_You just seem weird" _

"_Can't I be excited and happy in the mornings?" she said with a smile as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her "But I do have something that I need to talk to you about"_

"_Spill it Sawyer" Lucas said taking a seat as his little girl turned at looked at him _

"_Huh?"_

"_I was talking to your mum honey" he said as Peyton laughed and sat down across from him _

"_Well you know my friend Max? He used to own the record shop in Tree Hill? We caught up the other day and I was remembering how many happy afternoons I celebrated by treating myself to an afternoon in there, or sad moments when I needed the music to take the pain away" she let out a laugh "I used to go there when Nathan and I would break up"_

"_You dated Uncle Nathan?" the little girls ears piped up again as she looked at her mum in disgust _

"_Anyway I miss that place so much you know? I find that so many afternoons I will find myself looking for something to do or something to get me out of my funk and I'll wish back to when the place was open. So I was telling Max all of this and he completely agreed with me and so we started talking and he suggested that we went into a partnership and brought it back" she said ending it with a dramatic and excited smile for effect as her husband looked at her with a rather confused look on his face "I told him that I couldn't agree to anything without talking it through with you so what do you think?" _

"_How?" was all Lucas could manage to get out _

"_Well I already have Chris managing Red Bedroom part time anyway"_

"_But I thought that was just until you got back into the swing of Tree Hill life and the kids were a bit older?" Lucas questioned his wife to try and gain some perspective of the scenario _

"_Well Leo is heading off to kinder next year its perfect timing for me to start on my own little adventure. Between Haley, Chris and I Red bedroom is already sorted and Max said that he could take the brunt of the shifts, that while the kids are in school I can just work as many days as I want to within the school hours so I can still drop and pick Sawyer up from school" _

"_And financially and economically how will it work? Aren't Cd's and records a bit hard to market these days?"_

"_Lucas I know that it is a bit of a risk but it's something that I really want to do and I certainly won't be paying for the brunt of it, Max and I will be going in halves in everything and he knows how these businesses work"_

"_Peyton are you forgetting that his store had to be shut down once before? And where do you buy your music again" _

"_You think it is a bad idea don't you? Just say it Lucas" she said looking at him with teary eyes and her arms crossed across her chest _

"_Peyton"_

"_There is no need to be an ASS-HAT about it Lucas" she said pushing her chair out and storming off in the direction of the stairs _

"_Daddy" Sawyer said disabling the awkward silence that her mother's strop had created _

"_Yes Sawyer" Lucas said with his head in his hands _

"_What is an ass-hat?" _

_X-x-x-x-x-x_

"_So what do you want to do today Lydia-Bob?" Jamie asked as he walked into the living room dividing his attention to his little sister who sat perched on the couch and the screen of his mobile phone where he desperately waited for a reply from Chuck who hadn't texted him back all morning _

"_River court?" the brunette girl asked with a shrug of her shoulders _

"_Nah I don't think so Lydi" Jamie said with a laugh "How about we find something to do at home?" the little girl nodded back at him "Why don't we make cupcakes?" _

"_What flavour?" the four year old girl asked as Jamie gave her his hand and helped her off the couch _

"_I was thinking chocolate" he said grinning down to Lydia as they walked to the kitchen before he lifted her up and placed her on the bench "How about it Lydia?" with a hand in her mouth she nodded as Jamie smiled before collecting the ingredients and placing them on the bench _

"_Can I hold the bowl?" she asked as Jamie laughed as he carefully considered the question that his gorgeous little sister posed, the thing was he knew that he probably shouldn't actually let her hold the bowl because well that would probably end in disaster but how could he resist that little face with just the one dimple on the left side_

"_Sure you can Lydia" he said passing her the mixing bowl before briefly looking back towards his phone _

"_What goes in first?" she asked looking up to her tall brother with her deep chocolate eyes _

"_Flour?" he asked looking for the conformation in Lydia's little smile before working through the list of ingredients "Now Lydia you have to give me the bowl now so we can put the beaters in cause I think that they might rip your little arms off" he said with a smile as Lydia giggled. She passed him the bowl and he quickly placed it under the electric mixers "Now how does mum do this again?" he asked himself as Lydia slid across the bench towards the mixture _

"_Jamie" she said putting a hand towards the bowl _

"_No Lydia you can't touch the bowl" he said pushing away her hand as she continued to lean forwards before Jamie growing tired of it lifted her off the bench and put her on ground level "I don't want you to get hurt Lydia" _

"_Jamie" _

"_I'm just going to do this and then you can help me again" he said looking down at his baby sister who was looking increasingly frustrated by her brother as she tried incessantly to get his attention with no success "So I guess we just press the 'ON' button" he said putting both hands onto the top of the mixer without any support on the bowl. As he pressed the on button the bowl turned in fast paced circles before flipping and throwing mixture all over the kitchen and all over Jamie "You were going to tell me to hold the bowl weren't you Lydia?" he asked as he put two hands onto the bench _

"_Yaha" Lydia responded before breaking into hysterical giggles as Jamie turned around to reveal the version of himself that was covered in chocolate _

"_I better clean this up" _

_X-x-x-x-x-x_

Sam sat patiently in her red car, well patiently was the wrong word it wasn't that she was waiting for something in actual fact she was waiting patiently for some courage to build up inside of her. For some reason she just couldn't muster it up. She had watched as Brooke drove into the driveway, juggled the shopping bags as well as the two rowdy boys that ran at her feet before walking inside. At this point Sam was trying her best to squish herself under the dash board of the car which she in that exact moment recognised the stupidity of. She had been brutally honest with Brooke since the moment she had met her and while it had gotten her into trouble on several occasions but it was the policy that she and Brooke had set up. As Sam re-adjusted herself in the chair so that she was sitting upright she decided that the best way to tackle this conversation was to just tell Brooke the absolute truth, it wasn't that she thought that Brooke would be mad or that she would disapprove, she just wanted to make Brooke proud and she desperately hoped that this next path that she was taking would be one that her mother figure would be proud of.

"Just rip the band aid off Sam" she said to herself as she gathered composure and reached for her handbag at the back seat, she jumped as a loud tap sounded on her car window, she turned to see the older woman staring in before winding down the window

"Can I help you?"

"I'm just here visiting Brooke Baker" she said with a smile as the older woman looked her up and down "I know you, you're Mrs Walsh" Sam said as she put on a smile "I used to live here" Mrs Walsh continued to look on at her with extreme concern in her little mousey eyes "With Brooke. I'm Sam. No?" she asked as she jumped out of the car "Well I'm just going to go and see Brooke now"she said as she walked across the road with a wave.

Sam supposed that she owed some thanks to the blank and judging stares of the neighbour as it had sped up the process of getting herself to the door even If it was more to do with melting away the hooligan status that Mrs Walsh' eyes were thrusting upon her instead of the deep desire to tell Brooke her secret rising inside of her. She shook herself down and took a deep breath repeating the mantra 'rip the band aid off' as she put bare knuckles onto the door that once acted as the entrance to her own home and within an instant that door was opening to reveal an incredibly smiley face

"Sammmmmmmmm…."

"I'm Pregnant"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Now when mum asks what we did today do we mention the cupcake mixture incident?" Jamie asked as he stood in front of his little sister who shook her head at him "That's my girl" he exclaimed before passing her a lollipop

"Can we go play outside?" Lydia asked with a smile blocked by the grape lollipop

"Yeah sure we can" he said as he lifted her off the bench and put her down onto the ground, as they made it to the door his phone began to ring "I'll be out in a minute Lyds" he said opening the door to allow his sister to exit before answering the phone "Hey Chuck, where have you been all day buddy?"

"_I can't do it anymore" _his friend sobbed into the receiver as Jamie frowned

"What's going on man?"

"_Mum came home drunk again last night, she didn't have any money for the taxi but she couldn't tell him that I had to. Which by the way didn't go so well, who knew that taxi drivers didn't like it when their customers make them go on a wild goose chase to bottle shops for over an hour and then can't pay their bill. I sorted that out and everything was fine but I was so sick of it all so I finally confronted her about it this morning and she told me that she hated me, my own mother hates me"_

"I'm sure she didn't mean it Chuck, sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment"

"_You didn't see the look in her eyes mate" _Jamie could hear Chuck sniffing

"Do you want to come and stay here for a bit? Just until everyone calms down. I'm sure mum and dad won't mind" Jamie had spent the majority of his life most definitely the majority of his friendship with Chuck watching how his mother's drinking affected him and it killed him that he couldn't do anything to stop it or make it better

"_Thanks buddy! But it's not that simple, I need to find a more permanent solution. I just needed to let you know what was going on, I don't want to sound like a sap but you are my best friend_" this sentiment showed that Chuck truly was in a bad spot at the moment but before Jamie could tend to that he looked out into the backyard and noticed that he couldn't see Lydia "Shit! Chuck hold on a second" he said as he ran into the backyard "LYDIA" he yelled at least seven hundred times as he ran the perimeter of their backyard

"_Jamie what's going on?" _Chuck screamed into the phone to get Jamie's attention

"I think I've lost Lydia"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"So you get the wine and I'll go up and talk to Peyton" Haley said as they walked up the steps of TRIC

"It feels wrong buying alcohol and being knowingly pregnant" Quinn said looking to Haley who gave her a disapproving look

"We aren't making you drink it"

"First step forcing me to buy it second step forcing it down my throat" Quinn said with a smirk as Haley turned to her

"As if! I wouldn't do that to my little niece of nephew in there" she latched onto Quinn's middle

"Haley stop" Quinn said with a laugh "We don't want anyone to know I am pregnant yet it is way too early"

"And what better way to stop pregnancy rumours then buying a crate" she inserted hand gestures to indicate size "of wine"

"Right" Quinn laughed as they walked up to the main bar

"Hit her up with the wine Chase" Haley said as she waved over to him and then walked towards the steps to Red Bedroom. As she went to take the first one Chris jumped out at her causing her to scream and alerting the other two standing at the bar "What are you doing?" she said hitting him with her hand bag

"That's not the first time a girl has reacted to him like that" Chase joked as he and Quinn headed to the storage room

"Thank goodness you are here Haley I need you" he said grabbing her arm and dragging her up the stairs

"Whoa. I am so confused, I just came to see Peyton" she said "Where is Peyton? And why did she let you off your leash?"

"Ha-ha so funny. Peyton isn't here right now she is trying to convince Lucas to support her idea of opening up a record shop with that max guy, you know the one with the floppy hair"

"A record shop?"

"Jeez Haley can't you tell that the Keller is in desperate need for your help right now"

"What do you need Chris?"

"Well I seemed to have made a judgement in error" he gulped

"What have you done?" Haley said giving him a stern look

"Well I sort of tried to poach this real babe of a singer" she gave him the please elaborate looks as she put her hands on her hips "It wasn't intentional, at first I was just trying to sleep with her and I casually mentioned that I was a singer and she was like" Chris changed his stance and pretended to flick her hair 'Oh wow I'm a singer too' Haley tried not to laugh "So we were talking and she was complaining how hard it was to get music out there with management breathing down her back it was hard to create music that had meaning and I was like 'Well I don't really have that trouble because I'm the manager of the recording studio Red Bedroom. Then somewhere between the mention of Red Bedroom and My bedroom I had accidently offered to take her on"

"You slept with her?"

"Ha-ha yeah! High five" he said holding his hand up before taking Haley's facial expression as a sign to move on from this moment "Anyway this morning I got a very lovely phone call from a lady named Vanessa from her former management who set up a meeting."

"Is Vanessa up there?" Haley pointed up the stairway as she continued to look at Chris

"I wish. Turns out Vanessa is the secretary of a very giant muscly hulk like man called Stan" Haley laughed "It's not funny Haley; I'm legitimately scared for my life. I nearly wet my pants when he walked into the room and then again when I had to excuse myself from the room two minutes later"

"Well what do you want me to do about it Chris?" she sighed

"Can you come up and talk to him? I think he would respond better to you" she sighed in frustration again

"Fine Chris, just this once" she said walking up the steps before him

"Great" he said with a smile "You have nothing to worry about I'll protect you from Stan, oh and by the way I think if you did this action it might calm him down" Haley turned and watched as Chris demonstrated the simple action of breathing in and out as he moved his arms up and down and she smirked

"You must be Stan" Haley said as she walked into the room, Chris walked calmly in behind her but as Stan turned around he grabbed either side of Haley and used her as a human shield as they walked over

"And who are you?"

"I'm Haley Scott and I am a co-owner of Red Bedroom Records, I hear we may have an issue"

"Yeah your pretty boy over there has something of mine"

"Look Chris has told me the whole story and from what I gather this was the decision of your client, maybe instead of taking it up with us you should be taking it up with her"

"I wouldn't be having this problem if it wasn't for pretty boy offering her something that he had no right to offer"

"From what I can see obviously you aren't satisfying the needs of your client and Pretty boy here offered her something that she found satisfying" Chris laughed behind her, she turned around and gave him the look "Chris knows what he is talking about and he would have only offered….'

"Sasha"

"He would have only offered Sasha a spot here at Red Bedroom if he saw something special in her and so I can understand why you wouldn't want to lose out on that but that doesn't mean you should come around here and INTIMIDATE the opposition. It clearly means that you need to reflect on the way you are treating Sasha and your other clients and modify it"

"You just went all mum on his ass" Chris whispered into her ear as she smirked

"Now can I help you with anything else Stan?"

"That'll be all"

"Well it was nice to meet you Stan" she said as he gave Chris one last look and walked out the doors

"You are officially my hero" he said giving her a high five before she picked up a paper cup off the table and skulled it, Chris bit his bottom lip and tried not to laugh as Haley spluttered and choked

"Was that yours?" Haley asked pointing to the cup as her eyes watered and Chris nodded "What the hell was that?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Are you sure she isn't in the backyard?" Clay said practically jumping out of the moving car as he pulled up to the Scott house and running halfway between the car and Jamie and Chuck as Milo was sitting in the back seat of the car

"I've checked every inch of this place, I've yelled her name at least one hundred times and she hasn't responded. I don't think she is here. Did you see her on the drive over?"

"Nah man I didn't" Clay said with a hand on his head "Come on We'll go for a drive and see if we can spot her"

"But what if she is here" he said pointing to the house behind him

"I'll stay here and keep looking" Chuck said as he put a hand on his best friends back, It meant the world to Jamie that even though Chuck was going through his own crisis that he was willing to drop everything for him. It didn't really surprise him Chuck had been in Lydia's life since she was born and while he hid it in an attempt to remain cool in front of his friend he did adore the little girl

"Are you sure?"

"Just go and find here" Chuck said as Jamie ran and jumped into his uncle's car

"I should have been watching her more carefully; mum is going to kill me"

"We are going to find her buddy" Clay said trying to hide the extreme concern for his niece and his nephew who would be dead if Haley ever found out that he had managed to lose his sister "She couldn't have gone too far, you know how much she complains on family walks" he joked to try and lighten the mood

"Oh I'm so stupid" Jamie said as Clay turned to him "Turn the car around, I know where she went"

"Where did she go?" Clay asked abruptly turning the car around

"She wanted to go to the river court today but I said no"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"So you are telling me that you are….." Brooke was incredibly shell shocked

"Pregnant yup, Bun in oven, with child, in a family way, up the duff, knocked up" Sam had the tendency to babble when she was nervous "I'm pregnant" she said it one more time for good measure

"Are you sure?"

"This kind of proves it for me" she said reaching into her hand bag and passing Brooke the picture that she took with her at all times from her last ultrasound

"When?" Brooke said looking at the picture intently with a tear in her eye

"I found out just before we went on that family holiday but it was way too early to tell anyone, oh god Brooke don't cry, I'm sorry from keeping it from you. It's not that I didn't want to tell you I just didn't want to jinx it and I really didn't want you to be disappointed and I really wanted to come to you and tell you when I had everything planned out so that you would know that you had nothing to worry about. I know that Jack and I are young" she gulped as Brooke looked up at her then stood up and walked towards her before wrapping her arms around her

"I can't believe you are going to make me a grandma" she said with a laugh as Sam started crying "I'm so happy for you and Jack"

"Oh thank god you're okay with this because well I know that I am okay with it but if you weren't good with it I wouldn't know how to move forward"

"Have you told your mum yet?" Brooke asked as Sam shook her head

"I have to clear one more thing by you before I tell her about the baby"

"Shoot Sammy" Brooke said with a continually growing smile

"So at the last scan we were able to find out the sex of the baby and we found out that we are having a little girl" as Brooke screamed Sam felt herself getting all excited again as a hand rested on her stomach "Anyway that night Jack and I were talking baby names and we decided that when our little girl comes into the world we are going to name her after two of the most important women in our life"

"I'm dying here tell me what you are going to name her"

"Jack suggested a name and we both instantly fell in love with it! Are you ready for this?" Brooke nodded ferociously "Penelope Rebecca Daniels" Brooke entered the shocked zone again "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful" she said as she wiped a tear from under her eye "But are you sure? You really don't have to do that; won't your mum be upset?"

"She knows as well as I do that you were always my first mum" Sam said with a smile as Brooke hugged her tightly again.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"LYDIA BOB SCOTT" Jamie said as he jumped out of the car and ran onto the river court where his little brunette sister stood

"JAMIE" she said with a smile

"You are in so much trouble Lydia! You can't just run off like that and not tell me" he said as he scooped the little girl up into his arms "Do you know how dangerous it is to just walk off like that?"

"But you always walk to the river court?" Lydia asked with her confused little eyes

"That's cause I'm older and even when I do walk to the river court someone always knows where I am" Jamie brought her in for another hug, while he wanted to scold her he was just so grateful that she was okay "You scared me Lydia"

"I'm sorry Jimjams" she said as she nuzzled into his neck "Hey Uncle Clay" she said as she looked up to the man walking towards her with her cousin Milo in his arms

"You went for a bit of a walk didn't you Lyd" he said resting a hand on the top of her head and ruffling her hair "Come on guys we better get you home"

"Can we shoot some hoops first?"

"Only if you promise that you will never ever go anywhere without telling someone first and secondly that you don't tell mum and dad okay? It'll only get you and me both in trouble" the little girl nodded as he put her down on the ground "Thanks so much Uncle Clay"

"She is my girl I'd do anything for her and for you" he said with a tired smile

"Are you okay Uncle Clay?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow "You just seem a little sad or even angry at the moment plus Logan said that you and Quinn had been fighting"

"I'm fine Jim" he said with a smile "I'm just a bit uncomfortable in telling you about Quinn and my problems she is your Aunt and you don't need to be involved"

"Well okay but just know that mama taught me how to be an impartial third party" he said with a laugh

"I bet she did" Clay said with a smile "Quinn and I are just going through a rough patch at the moment, everything just changed while she was away and its taking us a while to get back to where we were"

"You know what hasn't changed" Jamie asked in all seriousness as he watched his baby sister intently; he interpreted the silence as a yes "The look that you get when Aunt Quinn walks into the room and the look she gets when you walk into the room. Trust me your real trouble starts when that stops"

Clay laughed "And where did you get all this wisdom from?"

"Dude my parents are Naley! Where do you think I got it from?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

She thumped her knuckles against the glass of the door to make a sharp yet delicate noise and within a moment the door was opened and she was faced with her incredibly smiley faced friends. Peyton smiled back and then lifted up her right arm "I brought wine"

"And that's the password" Haley said as she opened the door further "come in"

"Haley I need to talk to you" Peyton said with a gulp, she didn't know why she was so nervous to tell Haley she supposed it might have something to do with her disastrous reaction to her idea

"I think it is a really excellent idea" Haley said with a smile as they placed the bottle of wine on the bench and tried to find the bottle opener

"What idea?" Brooke asked as she took a seat at the bench

"Peyton is going to open a record shop with Max"

"P. Sawyer that is an absolutely awesome idea" Brooke said latching onto Peyton's side, once this conversation was over Peyton needed to investigate what was making Brooke so happy or how many glasses of wine she had already consumed

"If it is where Max's old one was then we will all be shop neighbours, It like two shops down from the café and just across the road from Baker man. How cool would that be?"

"Hold your horses" Peyton said it with a laugh "I really love the idea and it's something that I feel really passionate about but It was only ever going to happen if I could get Lucas on board and from the conversation we had about it this morning I doubt that he is on board with this. And what about Red Bedroom? I just got back in the swing of things with it"

"Okay first of all sweetie Red Bedroom will be fine in fact it will be just as great as usual because we have Chris Keller and while he can be a major dick the majority of the time he is not only reliable but hurts me to say it he is doing an excellent job"

"Second" Brooke said taking the baton in the relay "Lucas is going to be jumping on board really soon I bet, you know why? Cause you are Peyton Sawyer and where ever you go he follows and whatever ventures you endeavour he supports"

"He was just so negative about it"

"You know he is like an old woman when he is considering things" Haley said with a laugh "If you want I can speak to him and throw a few punches if he is being stubborn"

"Oh I love you guys" She said as Haley passed her a glass of wine "And why are you so happy little miss?"

"SAM IS HAVING A BABY" she yelled all excited as her dimples popped out

"Wait you are going to be a grandma?" Peyton said with an equally excited look on her face

"Well I'm not so happy about that part, who am I kidding? I am so excited that I'm going to be a grandma" she crinkled up her nose

"What is the face for?" Haley asked with a smile

"I think I need to find an alternative name, grandma sounds so OLD"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Quinn unlocked the front door of the house, as she walked in she noticed that the place was dark. Assuming that everyone was asleep she threw her bag down onto the couch and walked up the hallway. First opening the door to Logan's room, walking in and kissing his forehead before walking further up the hall into the nursery of Milo, as she walked forwards she noticed that Milo wasn't in his crib. In a moment of panic she ran out of the room and back into the living room, turning on the light and hoping to hell that the house didn't show signs of a struggle. When she realised that the house was just as she left it she walked cautiously up the hallway to the bedroom she shared with her husband. As she looked at the bed she breathed a breath of relief.

Quinn took off her shoes and lay down on her side of the bed, kissing both of her boys heads before resting on hand on the babies stomach and one in her husband's hair "Hey"

"Hey honey" she smiled

"How was girl's night?" he asked with his eyes still closed

"Significantly less fun when you can't drink" she continued to watch him "How was your night?"

"Yeah it was pretty great until bed time. Milo really doesn't like the rock" he smirked

"You have no idea, the week he decided that he hated the rock I was convinced that he had been possessed and was like one more bad night away from calling ghost busters" Clay laughed "He is looking pretty content now though"

"I bribed him"

"Of course" she said with an infectious grin as he opened his eyes and caught the infection

"We have to buy him a kitten"

"I love you Clay Evans"

"I love you Quinn Evans"

"We are going to make it through this right?" she swallowed hoping that his answer would be what she wanted

"Till Kingdom Come baby"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"And she is out" Alex said as she walked into the living room of their apartment and sat herself down on her husband's lap "She was a little terror today, if that's a glimpse of our future I think we need to get emergency food supplies"

"It was just a Diva Strop" Chase said with a smile "At least now we know that she wasn't swapped at the hospital" Alex quirked her eyebrow "from what I hear Diva Strops are genetic and well I think she got it from her mama" he said with a laugh as she slapped him. He picked her up and put her down on the couch as he kissed her neck, he was about to take her top off when there was a knock at the door

"Are we expecting anyone?" Alex asked as Chase jumped off her

"Nope" he said as he stood up and headed over to the door

"If it is Chris bragging about a girl tell me and I'll go to bed now" she said as Chase smiled and opened the door, the smile soon was replaced with a confused look as he looked at the boy that stood in doorway and then at the bags at his feet

"Who is it?" Alex said as she walked towards the door "Hey Chuck" she smiled before noticing the bags and then looking at his blood shot eyes "Are you okay?"

"Can I please stay with you?"

*** To be continued

~ I know it has been a long time coming but finally a new chapter!

Sorry for the delay I was side tracked with exams and then a serious case of writers block which may have led to this chapter being a little dishevelled. Let me know what you think of this chapter

Maggie xx


	10. Chapter 10

We Belong: Chapter ten

Seven months later

Peyton sat on the floor of the freshly painted studio, any light was blocked out by the newspapers on the windows that indicated to the outside world that a store would be opening soon in this location. She sorted through the boxes of cd's and records, putting them into categories and artists. Peyton and Max had spent the last couple of weeks trying to set up the store, something that Peyton desperately wanted done so she could finally go back home to spend some much needed time with her kids and her husband without the dreaded feeling of guilt that was stirred up in her whether she was at the store missing her kids or at home and not working or helping max. As she finished filing through her tenth box of the day she put a hand through her hair and shuddered, it really did need a good wash, sleeping on the couch at the back of the store hadn't really been the greatest idea in the world. She missed snuggling into her husband's side at the end of a long day, it wasn't that she was sleeping at the store every night it was just that currently by the time she finally got home Lucas was already asleep and she worried that snuggling into his side would wake him up and sometimes she would crawl into bed with Sawyer or Leo to get some much needed cuddle contact with her kids that she felt deprived of since going from being with them pretty much every moment of the day to not seeing them for large blocks of time. Peyton looked down at her watch and sighed as she realised that Sawyer would have just been dropped at school and there wasn't a chance for Peyton to see her, she fastened her pace in the hopes of having done enough to be able to pick Sawyer up from school. The door opened behind her but she continued to sort assuming that it was just Max who she had sent home at three that morning "Hey Peyt" he said as she turned around and smiled

"Hey babe and my baby" she said standing up and walking over to her husband and lifting Ellie Scott out of her dad's arms "I've missed you" placing a kiss onto the delicate blonde hair of her youngest child

"Are you going to tell mum what you did last night?" he asked the dummy clad two year old

"Potty" she beamed putting on the widest grin for her mother whose eyes filled with tears

"My baby is getting so big" she said looking over to her husband as he put a hand on the back of her head and gave her a comforting smile, she wanted to warn him that her hair was horrible

"You are a little legend aren't you Ello" Lucas said with a smile "She is also getting over her phobia of Wonderdog Willow" she missed her kids but she was glad that Lucas got to experience the day to day manic routine that always managed to bring her endless joy but extreme exhaustion and she could tell that he was enjoying it too

"Mama is so proud of you baby" she said placing another kiss on the little girl as she bounced her up and down on her hip "Where is my Leo?"

"Leo is with Haley for the morning while I go for a meeting at Sawyer's school" Peyton quirked her eyebrow wondering what trouble her eldest daughter had managed to get up to whilst she wasn't looking "It's nothing bad, just some meeting about Parental involvement, Haley is sending Nathan and Brooke is sending Julian" Peyton hated missing all the fun and action between her friends and family

"Cool guy posse, sitting up the back of the class?" Peyton asked with a laugh

"Like always babe"

"You never sat at the back of the class, Nathan did but I doubt that Julian did" she smiled

"Whatever Peyton" he said with a laugh "I thought maybe I could leave Ellie with you while I go to the meeting and then pick her up just after, I'll bring Leo with me so you get to see him today too"

"Yes please" she nodded ferociously and enthusiastically

"Better head off then" he said looking down at his watch "Love you two" he said placing a kiss on both of his girls before heading towards the door

Peyton looked down at Ellie as she looked up at her "did daddy do your hair today?"

"I heard that" Lucas yelled as he opened the door and Peyton laughed

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I don't care what Lila wants, she is marrying Milo when she is old enough and that's final" Alex said as she walked over from where she had placed Lila on the floor to play with Milo before sitting down next to her very pregnant best friend

"Same goes for Milo" Quinn said with a laugh as she placed a hand onto her large stomach

"I can't believe that in just over a week you will have ANOTHER baby" Alex stated as she watched her friends hand linger on her stomach "You are like superwoman, I can barely do it with one and you are nearly doing it with three"

"I'll cope better when Clay is home again, plus Taylor is going to come down for baby girl Evan's birth and stay on for a week or so while we all settle into another baby. You are wonder woman-ing up with two anyway"

"Chuck is already raised, he is easy" she shrugged it off as she brought her coffee cup up to her mouth

"Speaking of Chuck how is he doing?" Quinn asked trying to perch herself up onto the couch better but continuing to slouch

"Better I think, it's hard on him. I think that he loves staying with us and being a part of our family but it hurts him not being with his mum and it's so different too. He moved from a place where he got less attention than the tequila bottle to a place where there is a baby and he is completely held responsible for his own actions and given attention"

"So this stuff with his mum?"

"He is in our custody because he is still a minor in the eyes of the law, at our last court appearance the judge said that he wouldn't even consider another appeal until Mrs Scolnic entered a rehab facility and gained control over her drinking, she has been in there for about a month and a half now but Chuck wont visit her"

"So he will go back into his mums care once she is out of rehab?" Quinn asked as Alex glanced over to the two thirteen month old babies

"It's ultimately up to him; he is old enough to decide where he wants to be, at this point it just up to us to convince him that he is not a burden on our lives at all, that we won't be upset if he decides to go and live with his mother again and that he shouldn't base his decision on not wanting to upset someone and should base it on what he truly wants. He is such a special and bright kid; he just needs a little nurturing"

"I bet that Lila loves having him there" Quinn said with a smile

"She adores him" Alex laughed "And it's nice for Chase to have another boy in the house considering I don't think I'll be running to have another baby anytime soon"

"Really?" Quinn asked as Alex nodded

"It's not that I don't adore Lila, it's just hard work, plus I love getting to put all my attention into her growing" Alex said as Milo whimpered, she stood up saving her heavily pregnant friends energy, she had started taking Milo for the day so that Quinn could rest

"Is everything okay? I can't see past my belly" Quinn said with a laugh that abruptly stopped as she clutched onto her stomach

"He is fine" Alex said as she kissed his head before sitting down on the floor with him on her lap and her daughter at her knee

"Alex" Quinn said as calmly as she possibly could

"Yeah honey?" she said not turning around as she pulled faces at the babies on the floor

"Stay calm but I think I'm about to have this baby"

"WHAT?" she said turning as quickly as she could with a baby on her lap with a flabbergasted look on her face "Are you sure?" she asked as Quinn nodded

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I've got nappies" he yelled with triumph as he walked into the house, accidently slamming the door behind him causing the baby in his girlfriend's arms to start crying

"Dammit Jack, I only just got her to sleep" Sam said pulling the pink star-ey blanket that held two week old Penelope Daniels closer to her chest as she begun to the rocking routine that she had just finished

"I'm sorry babe" Jack said walking forwards and pushing the hair out of Sam's exhausted eyes "Do you want me to take over?"

"she's okay" Sam responded looking delicately into Jack's eyes as Brooke walked into the living room turned 'Penelope room' with a washing basket on her hip

"I'll take that for you Mrs Baker" Jack said as he grasped the laundry basket

"You already made me a grandma, please don't make me sound any older by calling me Mrs Baker" she laughed as she looked sympathetically over at Sam

"She is just so fussy" Sam looked up at her with tears in her eyes

"Should have warned you that it comes with the name shouldn't I?" Brooke said walking towards her "Let me take her" Brooke said holding out her arms which embraced the baby as Sam transferred her over "We all go through this stage honey" Brooke said directing her daughter over to the couch "It does end, sort of" Brooke smirked as Sam grunted as Penelope's little hands clenched into little fists before letting out the loudest cry "Whoa Nelly" Brooke said before letting out a laugh

"Maybe she is hungry" Sam said with her eyelids drooped as her head rested against the couch cushion "Give her here and I'll feed her"

"You're okay Nelly, just let it out bubba" she said as she stood up and started rocking her "She is just so tired that she is too tired to sleep, it's exhausting being a baby isn't Nelly?" she said with a smile down at the baby despite the screaming which slowly eventually subsided "There you go mama" Brooke said turning around to find Sam finally asleep on the couch behind her. Brooke picked up a blanket and draped it over her with a free hand before walking over to the bassinet and placing Penelope down "I guess your mama was too tired to sleep too"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Peyton put another cd into the newly installed sound system as Ellie danced at her feet and Max yelled out the names of albums so she could mark it off the inventory list, having Ellie there with her was nice but it was a bit of a distraction and delay creator as Peyton had to try to run errands but keep a firm eye on Ellie so that she didn't get into any mischief whilst she was there. She felt so guilty for looking down at her watch wondering when Lucas would come to pick their daughter up. Lucas walked through the door with Leo at his side who promptly ran up to his mum and started talking about a mile a minute as Max continued to read out stock before realising that Peyton's family had arrived "How was the meeting?" Peyton asked as Leo finished talking and walked over to his sister grabbing her hands and grooving with her to the music

"Julian broke a chair and some mum tried to pick up Nathan" Lucas laughed, Peyton laughed too but didn't have time to dwell upon it, she needed Lucas to give her the details and then promptly leave her to it "They have started this thing at the school where parents go in and help in the classroom, a roster is being drawn up, Debby said she would call you and get your availabilities" Peyton sighed at the idea of something else being thrusted onto her plate "And Sawyer's camp is in two weeks and they are still looking for parent chaperones"

"Are you going to go with her?" Peyton asked as she pushed her hair behind her ear

"Actually I've got a coaching commitment with the Ravens"

"So you want me to do it?"

"That would be really great babe" he said hugging her "both Sawyer and Lydia's grades are going so Nathan will be there as well"

"Fine" she said trying to hide the agitation before turning to look at the kids "Leo you don't play with that honey" she said a little more firmly than she expected

"Maybe you should take a break, I'm sure Max would understand. Come get some lunch with us" he said with his Lucas Scott grin

"I'm not taking a break Luke" she responded trying to remain calm

"We could just go to Karen's, it's only a couple of doors up and then you can come straight back here"

"Lucas stop I'm not coming to lunch"

"I don't know what's going on with you Peyton" he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow and a glance to his children who were being entertained by Max

"You want to know what's going on Lucas?" she asked as he nodded "I'm trying to open a business"

"Opening this record shop was your choice Peyton and I'm doing my best to pick up all the slack whilst you try and make it work"

"I know you are Luke and I love you for it. I know that it was my choice and that you are only supporting what I wanted to do but Lucas do you think that I want to be away from my family as much as I am right now? Do you not understand how much it kills me that I'm not with my kids, that I wasn't there to see Ellie go to the potty for the first time, that I don't get to be home to read them books and tuck them into bed? I feel so tremendously guilty because I'm never there and I'm trying to do one hundred things at once so the setup of this place is all done and I can finally be at home with you"

"It's okay Peyt" he said putting a hand onto her elbow "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to leave Lucas, I need you to take the kids and the lunch offers and the hundred text messages home with you okay? So that I have a hope of being able to pick Sawyer up from school tomorrow night" Lucas didn't respond, instead he placed his lips onto hers and then onto her forehead before gathering up the kids, letting them say their goodbyes and then leaving.

"You okay" Max asked as Peyton turned around

"Let's just get this place set up" Peyton said returning to her inventory list

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I've tried to call Clay but he isn't answering and Chase has the kids so he can't go out and find him and that baby is going to be flying out of you any second now and I just don't think I'm prepared for this" she said in a head spin as she threw herself down into the chair of her in labour but laughing friend

"Correct me if I am wrong but you have had a baby before right?" Quinn asked with a smirk

"Yes I've had a baby before but I was up the other end and I couldn't see my own lady parts"

"You'll be staying up this end so you won't be seeing my lady parts either, just calm down"

"That's easy for you to say, why is it that expectant fathers always go out of town or out of cell phone reception when their babies are being born?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Brooke stood out the front of the elementary school leaning against the car as the bell that indicated that it was the end of the school day rang out, any minute now the quiet courtyard would be bombarded with the running footsteps of children trying to find their parents or their rides home after a long day of school. Whilst she was loving having Sam back in her house and having her gorgeous granddaughter within reaching distance in her house, the 3am wake up calls and the watching of the new parents trying to find their balance in the world of parenting was starting to take its toll, not just on her but on her twin boys who despite their love for Sammy didn't understand the concept of being quiet in the middle of the day because while the baby was sleeping they were not, Yet the idea of them moving to Rebecca's even just for a night was too much for Brooke to bear. Brooke watched as her two identically grinned boys walked out of school with the little brunette Lydia and the curly blonde Sawyer, both of whom looked exactly like their mothers

"MUUUUUUUUUM" Davis yelled with a grin as he ran up to her and jumped into her arms

"Hello Babies" she said with a grin "How was school?"

"I found a snail" Jude said with his dimples on display "Troy dared me to lick he"

"Please tell me you didn't lick it" Brooke shuddered thinking of her son putting his tongue across the slimy creature, she wondered if little girls got up to the same trouble

"Eww mama, as if" he said looking at her as though the thought was the most disgusting thing he had ever heard

"How about your day my girls?" she asked wondering where Haley was, usually they arrived at the school at a similar time and would talk as they waited for the kids to come out

"I drew a picture" Lydia responded with this shyness that Brooke assumed was due to the absence of her mother, just like Haley Lydia was a bit of a nervous nelly, the presence of her cousin Logan behind her somewhat eased the nervousness, Brooke wondered if the reason that both of these kids were standing their parentless had something to do with the event that they were all waiting eagerly to arrive

"That's great Lydia" she said getting down to the little girl's level "I'm sure mama will be here soon" she said putting a hand on the little girls shoulder

"Can we go get ice-cream ma?" Jude asked as he took Lydia's little hand, something that produced tears in Brooke's eyes and melted her heart; she was convinced that these two little kids in front of her would be together in the future

"We will have to wait until Logan and Lydia's mummy's show up but afterwards we can get ice-cream"

"What about my mum?" Sawyer asked, wondering if she would be able to convince her mum to get her ice-cream as well

"You're coming home with me tonight Sawyer Brooke" she smiled as a car pulled speed up behind them and swiftly parked before Haley came running up towards the small group

"QUINNEY IS HAVING THE BABY" the blonde haired woman exclaimed with joy as she picked Lydia up and directed Logan towards the car

"Is this another drill?" Logan asked, his mother and aunty had been practising for this moment for the past month on random days. It was planned that when Quinn went into labour she and Clay would head to the hospital and Haley would be in charge of picking up Logan

"This isn't a drill Logie, you're about to become a big brother again" she said with a smile as she ruffled his hair "TALK LATER BROOKE" she yelled with a smile over her shoulder

"Give Quinney a kiss for me please" Brooke responded before attempting to get her own brood under control "Let's go get ice-cream"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Okay Quinn you are fully dilated" the doctor said as Haley wiped that sweat off Quinn's rose coloured face "You'll be holding your baby within the next hour"

"No!" she said lifting her head off the pillow "We have to wait, Clay isn't here yet and I really need him here, I can't do it without him Hales" she said as tears ran down her cheeks

"He will be here" Alex said to the surprise all three of the people in the room, she had remained pretty silent throughout the whole process, lending her hand and transferred strength to Quinn but remaining too nervous to speak "If I know Clay he is trying to find a car park and as soon as he does he will be running up those hospital hallways, we just have to start it without him"

"What if he doesn't make it?" she asked as she turned her attention to her best friend, still holding tightly onto both Haley and Alex's hands "He will be so upset"

"He just wants this baby out so that he can love it unconditionally for the rest of his life"

"We have to push now Quinn" the doctor said from his position at the bottom of the bed

"Come on baby we are just going to get it started" Alex said as Haley stood on the other side coaching Quinn on the right breathing technique

"Let's do this" Quinn said as she put all her focus and energy into pushing as she squeezed the two women's hands

"The baby is crowning" the doctor exclaimed with a quick smile upwards before turning his attention back to his job

"I can see her head" his voice said as he walked into the room

"I didn't think you would make it" Quinn gritted through her teeth as she continued to push

"As if I would miss this" Clay smiled as he took the hand the Alex relinquished and with one more burst of energy the pain stopped and the baby began to cry

"Congratulations, it's a girl" the doctor said lifting her into the air

"That is so Lion king" a crying Haley whispered over to a crying Alex as Clay walked over and cut the umbilical cord, watching as the baby was wrapped into blankets and passed to his wife who he promptly kissed

"Welcome to the world Maggie Mae Evans" Quinn said before kissing the baby in her arms "We are so glad you are here" she smiled as tears ran down her cheek

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Quinn had her baby" Brooke said with a smile as she walked into her house, placed her handbag on the floor and grabbed a beer from the fridge "and let me just say that Maggie Mae Evans is way too gorgeous for words" she said sitting down on the couch next to her husband and swinging her legs over his as he kissed her on the cheek and she lifted the beer up to her lips

"There is a bit of a baby boom happening in Tree Hill" he said with a laugh that she continued "Do you ever think about having another baby?"

"You know I think about it all the time but more recently thanks to the tree hill baby boom I've kind of come to the conclusion that my two babies are enough for me. While another baby would be an absolute miracle and I would love it unconditionally, I don't think I can go back to the sleepless nights and the dirty nappies" she smiled as he rubbed his hand up and down her soft legs "I'm pretty happy that I have kids who sleep through the night"

"Yeah me too" Julian said with a smile

"But that isn't going to stop me stealing the other Tree Hill babies whenever I need a fix"

X-x-x-x-x-x

A tap sounded at the newspaper covered glass and she cautiously walked towards it, while she had no real proof of the time as her phone had ran out of battery and they were yet to purchase clock, she assumed that it was pretty late. She lifted up a small section of newspaper and smiled at the familiar face that stood on the other side of the door, Peyton stepped back and opened the door as he did his signature squint

"I promise that I'm not here to distract you" he smirked "I just thought that you might need some food"

"You are my saviour" she said as he passed her the brown take-away bag, she walked over to the counter, hoisting herself up and crossing her legs as she opened the bag "What's been happening in the outside world?" she asked with a bite of cheese burger churning in her mouth, he laughed at the lack of etiquette that his wife was presenting "Are the kids with Hales?" she asked noting their absence

"Nah they are with mum and Andy, Haley is at the hospital" he said putting his own hand in the bag and grabbing a chip, taking the look his wife was giving him mid bite as a scolding for stealing a chip before realising that she was actually question his last statement "I've been trying to call you all afternoon"

"My phone died hours ago. Is Haley okay?" she asked letting one leg drape over the edge of the counter

"I figured that you were just ignoring your phone, Haley is fine, Quinn had her baby today" he watched as Peyton's eyes watered "She had a little girl, Maggie Mae"

"That's amazing" she cooed at the idea

"Anyway I should probably leave you to it, will you be home tonight?" he said standing with his hands resting on either side of his wife on the counter, she slid forwards and wrapped her legs around him as she nodded and then kissed him hard on the lips, not giving in. "Nope" Lucas pushed back with all his willpower "We can do this when the store is all setup and Max isn't going to walk in at any minute"

"It's done"

"The setup?"

"Mhmmmm" she nodded with a smile "We have unpacked and organised all the stock that has been delivered to us at the moment, a couple more shipments will come in but not for another two weeks and then we can open baby" she laughed as he kissed her neck

"And Max?" he asked as his lips briefly dislodged from her body

"Went home half an hour ago" she said succumbing to his long delicate kisses

"Couch?" he asked, his body had become possessed

"Mhmmmm" she groaned against his lips as he lifted her off the counter and walked with Peyton wrapped around his hips backwards up the store

To be continued 


	11. Chapter 11

We Belong – Chapter eleven

Chris tapped his knuckles across the glass front door, glass that had become cold from the frost of the morning. He recoiled his hand and put it in his pocket and he impatiently waited for his knocking to be answered, this was a matter of great importance, he pulled his hand out of his pocket to knock once more when the door flew open

"What sort of time do you call this?" a voice bellowed from somewhere below eyesight, he couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the tussled bed hair and stern face protruding from the little girl in the 'little miss happy' pyjamas, the splitting image of her mother as she stood looking up at him with her hands on her hips "The sun only just got out of bed" she said forming a crease between her eyebrows as her voice pitch went up ten octaves in disbelief

"Lydia" and there she was, the image of what this child would look like when she was older "What have I told you about answering the door?"

"Don't do it unless you or daddy or Jamie are really really close to me" she said drawing out her words and frowning as she said them "sorry mama"

"Go back and watch your cartoons baby" she said, Lydia had ever so loudly snuck into her parents bedroom twenty minutes earlier before announcing that she was going downstairs to watch cartoons because her 'eyes weren't sleepy anymore' "What are you doing here Chris?"

"Well Good morning to you too sunshine" she walked away from him but left the front door open as though he was supposed to follow her in, which he did "I did it"

"Now what did I tell you about telling me about your sex life?" she said prompting him like she had her daughter just minutes before

"You don't ever want to know about my self destructive behaviour or any floosy I slept with the night before but that's not what I did"

"What did you do?" she asked turning on the kettle with one hand as she yawned and covered her mouth with the other "Lydsi turn that down, your daddy didn't get home till very late last night" Chris quirked an eyebrow, while it unsettled Haley, she and Chris Keller and managed to create their own little facial expression language "He has been out of town scouting"

"I thought he wasn't allowed to do that anymore after the whole 'Kidnapped by a crazy Russian man' situation"

"Well it sort of comes with the job" she said shrugging her shoulders "Plus Clay is out of action for a couple of weeks whilst they adjust to having the new baby around." She pulled the screeching kettle off the hot plate and poured the hot liquid into her cup "What are you doing here Chris?"

"I've finished the song" he beamed as he pulled a blank cd out of his pocket "I wanted you to be the first to hear it" she grinned and took the cd from his hand, she walked towards her laptop that sat on the living room table from the night before and stuck it into the cd drive as Chris walked over and sat down on one of the chairs. She pressed play and the noise of the acoustic guitar came out at her, she sat toe tapping as Lydia ran up and climbed up onto Chris' lap, as the song finished he looked down at her and she looked up at him "So what did you think Lydia?" he asked with a smile

"You are pretty good Uncle Chris"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM" the little boy shouted from his position in the living room

"Shhhhh little man, Nelly might still be asleep" Brooke rushed out with her damp hair resting on her shoulders

"Oh I wish" Sam said as she came down the stairs with the little girl in her arms

"MUM" Davis said agitated that his mum had seemingly forgotten that the reason she was in the room was because they called her in for a very important reason

"What is it honey?" she said looking down at both of her eager eyed boys

"What is the box for?" he asked with a concerned face

"What box?" Brooke said as both of the boys sighed and Sam tried not to laugh

"That one mum" Jude said pointing to the rather large box that was taking up their whole living room

"Dah mum" Davis said as both of the boys looked at each other as if they were telepathically speaking

"I'm not sure" she said stepping towards it and examining it before stepping backwards "Maybe you should open it and find out" both of the little boys eyes lit up with glee, and she could tell that they were both hoping that it was a present for them.

Jude and Davis both stepped forward as Sam and Brooke shared a smirk and sat down on the couch, watching as Jude gave his brother instructions on how they were going to go about opening this large box. All four hands fidgeted to get the end of the sticky tape off the box before Davis ran to the other side so that a now standing on his tippy toes Jude could pass him the sticky tape so he could pull it back on his side. As they went to pull back the cardboard flaps a hand popped out and both boys jumped back, unfortunately for Davis he didn't jump back quick enough and was swiftly lifted into the air and dragged kicking and screaming into the box. Jude turned to his mother in shock as though asking 'aren't you going to do something' when deep belly laughter echoed from the inside of the box, Jude cautiously ran to his mother and wrapped an arm underneath her knee, the box started to move from side to side before the flap started opening and both Julian and Davis jumped out of the box shouting "BOO" Jude's face went from shock to a smile as he walked forwards and Julian scooped him into his arms "Did I scare you Jude the Dude?" he asked with his cheeky grin as his son nodded back at him. Julian placed the boy back down on the ground before lifting Davis out of the box

"I thought you were going to wet your pants Davey" Jude laughed as he put his arm over his brother's shoulder

"Where is Jack?" Sam asked noticing her mans absence

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH" came a mans voice from inside a white sheet that was walking towards them, pyjama pants and bare feet hanging out the bottom with two holes cut out for eyes "I'M A GHOSSSSSSSST" he continued as the boys looked at him dumbfounded

"That's not scary" Jude piped up as Sam passed Penelope to Brooke

"Are those my good sheets?" she asked standing up and standing just behind the twin boys

" That's scary" Davis said in reference to an angry Sam

"Come on boys lets get him" she said placing a hand on each of her foster brothers shoulders before they all took off up the hall behind a white sheet, Julian sat down next to Brooke just as a loud crash sounded and a clearly recognisable Jack Daniels voice shouted "OW"

"Happy first Halloween little Nell" Julian said placing a kiss on the little girls forehead

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Sawyer sweetie come downstairs and try on your costume for tonight" Peyton sung up the stairs as she walked to the kitchen with Ellie on her hip, she turned back and looked towards the stairs with a confused look before taking off towards them again, usually her daughter was overly enthusiastic especially when it came to holidays. Peyton walked up the stairs and into Sawyer's room where the little girl sat on her bed patting her puppy dog with a frown on her face "hey pumpkin" she laughed at herself for her Halloween humour "I've been calling out for you"

"I heard" she sulked back in response

"Why the sad face?" Peyton asked striding over and sitting down at the end of Sawyer's bed

"I'm underwhelmed" too much time with her father Peyton noted

"And why is that?" she said placing her squirmy Ellie down on the floor as Sawyer shrugged her shoulders "I have a perfect plan to get you out of your funk" Peyton said with a wide smile as Sawyer looked up at her with her cheeks squished together by her hands "How about we try on your Halloween costume so that we know its all ready for trick-or-treating tonight"

"That's the problem"

"Don't you want to go trick-or-treating?" Peyton asked, stumped by her eldest daughters foul mood

"Of course I do ma, free candy"

"Then I don't understand the problem"

"I hate my costume" she said pouting her bottom lip for extra emphasis

"What's up short stack?" Lucas said as he walked up to the doorway and leant against it

"Apparently our Sawyer is underwhelmed about her costume"

"Sawy" he squinted at her "When I asked you last week if you were sure that you wanted to go as a ballerina you said yes times 1 billion" she nodded "It's only been five days" he said holding up a hand "What happened?"

"I went to school and everyone was going as a ballerina daddy, Charlie is and Mia is and Katie is and now I cant"

"Sure you can baby, there is always going to be more than one ballerina in the world" he said as she looked up at him in outrage

"Where is the originality daddy?"

"Sawyer today is Halloween" Peyton said as she looked at her daughter "You have to wear your costume tonight, we don't have time to think up a whole new costume idea and get all the stuff together"

"But I know exactly what I want to be now" she said with a grin, this was something that she had learnt at Brooke Baker charm school "And I promise that I think that we have nearly everything we need to make is mama" her mum was the artistic one and she knew how to work it to her advantage "It'll be like a project"

"Sawyer" Lucas said leaning down at her height so they were making eye contact "Why don't you wear the ballerina costume tonight and we can use your other cool idea for your costume next year?" she wasn't caving in, Lucas looked up to Peyton before catching Ellie's little arm and bringing her in for a hug

"Sawyer baby, Your daddy and I would do anything in the world to make you happy, you know that right?" she nodded "And if that means we help you make a new costume for tonight we will do it but you have to remember that we aren't miracle workers or super heroes and we have very busy days, so if we cant make this in time you will have to go as a ballerina tonight with a big smile on your face okay?" Sawyer nodded standing up on her bed and wrapping her arms around Peyton's neck "Now what do you want to dress up as?" Sawyer put her lips to her mother's ear and whispered; Lucas knew that it was going to be good when Peyton smiled "Sawyer wants to go as…"

"Shhhhh what if someone is listening and tries to steal it" Sawyer said sternly as Peyton and Lucas both leant forward so that Peyton could whisper in his ear

"Are you sure?" he said with a quirked eyebrow as Sawyer jumped off the bed

"Very sure, now I'm going to find the string" she ran out of the room

"I feel like such a push over" Peyton said as she stood up

"We are bracing ourselves for war Peyton, you have to pick your battles"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Brooke sat on the deck of their two-story town house in a deck chair after giving up trying to decorate for the Halloween party she was hosting that night. Julian had had to go to work and Sammy and Jack had gone searching for an apartment leaving Brooke with her two sons and her granddaughter who thankfully was sleeping like an angel in her arms whilst her little terrors used orange streamers to wrap each other up, and whilst it was significantly derailing her party prep she couldn't help but smile as they hysterically laughed and threw confetti.

"Wow I love what you've done to the place" Haley said with a laugh as she walked out the big glass doors and onto the outside deck, Lydia quickly unlinked herself from her mothers hand and joined in on the shenanigans

"Lydia is really rocking the short overalls look" Brooke said with a laugh as she attempted to stand up and go over to Haley

"Hello beautiful girl" Haley rubbed her finger softly down the sleeping babies face

"I'm going to assume that you're not talking to me" Brooke laughed as Haley put her hand on her cheek and stroked it

"You're beautiful too…. Grandma" she laughed as Brooke mocked outrage

"That's it, I take it back I cant watch your kid today" she looked down at Penelope "Can you believe she just called me grandma, the nerve"

"Thanks so much for this" Haley said indicating over to the brunette girl "I mean who schedules a teachers conference for Halloween, we already have to put up with them all hyped up on sugar tonight, why in the world would we want to spend all day with them too"

"I'm catching what you're throwing tutor mum" Brooke laughed before hitting a state of alarm "Jude don't throw our Halloween decorations over the balcony please"

"I'll leave you to it" Haley said kissing Brooke on the cheek as they both headed towards the door

"Come on boys, inside I think it might be too cold out here for a party"

"Lydia darling I'm leaving now" she said opening her arms for a hug from the small girl "You be really good for Aunt Brookie and she might even help you put on your Halloween costume tonight"

"Yeah buddy" Brooke said freeing a hand so that Lydia Bob could give her a high five

"Call me if there is any trouble" Haley continued "I'm mainly talking to you on that one" she said pointing her index finger at Brooke

"Can do" Brooke smiled as the phone rang and she passed the baby over to Haley "Hey Peyton" she caught the name on caller id. As she picked up the phone "Is Sawyer still coming around today?" Brooke laughed as Peyton explained the shenanigans of the morning to her "So what does she want to go as now?" Brooke paused for a moment "A what? Okay so I did hear you right" she laughed as Haley rocked Penelope up and down "I'll see you tonight then, good luck with your family project" she hung up the phone and looked to Haley "Last minute wardrobe change"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Julian walked up the path of their home with an accomplished smile spread across their face, He, Jack and Sam had spent the majority of yesterdays afternoon setting up a spooky yard for that evening festivities and whilst it brought a smile to his face now it was guaranteed to get some screams that night especially when it was all lit up and in full effect. He put his key in the lock an entered his home that had been turned into the magical kingdom of Halloween, if the fridge was stocked with beer he knew he would be in for a good night. "Honey I'm home"

"Thank goodness" she said rushing over to him and kissing him hard on the lips

"You don't have to tell me that I'm a sex god, I know I am"

"I need you to take care of the kids, they are driving me nuts, every time I put a streamer up, they both intentionally or unintentionally rip it down, apparently it's a game!" he now knew that the loving welcome had nothing to do with his clear appeal and gosh dang it sexiness but actually he had become her saviour and boy oh boy was he going to rake in the bonus points later "They have already put on their costumes, actually they tried to put them on and then I had to put them on properly and every half an hour they come out and ask if we can go trick-or-treating yet" Brooke took a deep breath before continuing "I tried to let them help me make jack-o-lanterns but it was more of a safety risk than a fun activity and Sammy and Jack still aren't back yet" Julian took this moment to notice the little baby sitting in the bouncer on the bench in a strawberry outfit

"Well hello little Nelly-Berry" he said picking her up and planting a kiss on her cheek "It's okay I'm here now babe, You get on with the set up for tonight and I'll take care of the kids" he looked around "Where are the little rugrats?"

"I sent them to play in their room" he kissed his wife's cheek once more before heading up the hallway and opening the door to the twins room and recoiling in horror "What's wrong?" Brooke asked sticking her head around the corner of the kitchen

"Nothing babe, there costumes are just so darn scary" he hoped that she didn't remember anytime soon that the costumes were less than scary, they had a monkey, a cowboy and a bunny rabbit, the real horror came from the sight of the three kids sitting in a circle chowing down on the big bowl of candy that was meant to be handed out to other neighbourhood kids that night and he knew that if Brooke found out that she would freak "What are you doing?" he said walking in and shutting the door

"We were hungry" said Jude with half of a mars bar stuck to the roof of his mouth as both Lydia and Davis nodded

"Okay" Julian said as he took a moment to think of his next course of action "here is what we are going to do, We are going to stand up and wipe the chocolate away from our faces and then put all the wrappers and the big bowl of candy under your bed while we go to the supermarket and get some new candy before mummy even finds out okay"

"Rokay Shaggy" Lydia said standing up and adjusting her tutu that apparently made the bunny costume ' a bit more me' as she wiped the chocolate out of the corners of her mouth.

Julian marched all four kids out into the living room "Touch anything and you are in big trouble, keep your arms at your sides" all three of the kids in front of him obliged "That goes for you too miss Nelly"

"What's going on I thought that you were going to keep them out of here?" Brooke asked as Julian nervously smiled, he hoped that she was too preoccupied to notice

"That's exactly what we are doing, I'm going to take them out to the river court for a little while"

"Okay well don't forget that we are all leaving for trick-or-treating at 6:30 so you'll need to be back by then"

"Oh believe me we will be, now march my little soldiers" he demanded as they all turned and headed to the front door.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Are you serious?" Clay asked as he nursed baby Maggie in his arms "You are going to be super Quinn again?"

"It's an oldie but a goodie" she said placing Milo; who was dressed as Mickey mouse next to his older brother Buzz light-year (a.k.a Logan) on the couch.

"I don't think it ever was a goodie" Clay laughed

"Like you can talk you are wearing a fake moustache"

"I thought it would be a nice touch to my mariachi outfit, which if I do say so myself goes perfect with my precious baby girls costume"

"She does look pretty cute" Quinn said looking down at their month old baby "My gorgeous little taco" she laughed

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Okay kids we are on a mission" he said as he placed Penelope Daniels into the baby seat of the shopping trolley "We are going in to get candy, now all the good stuff will be gone but anything that is left will be getting fought over so I need you to use your clever little minds and more importantly your tiny human tendencies to get the best candy you can, okay hands in" Julian said putting his hand down before looking around "and paws in as well"

They walked into the store like the toughest gang in town, well as tough as you could get with a monkey, a strawberry, a bunny and a cowboy, straight for the candy aisle. After they had left their mark Julian lifted each individual kid with their loot into the trolley and quickly rolled over the cash registers.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Come on Lil we are about to leave" Lucas stood impatiently in the kitchen of his mums home waiting for his sister to come and show them her costume for tonight, Karen laughed before walking up to her daughters door and knocking "Are we sure that we are ready to let her go to a party at TRIC?"

"Yes WE, as in Andy and I, think we are ready to let her go to a party at TRIC"

"I think we need to rethink it" Lucas added as Peyton laughed hoisting her little "Jane Fonda work out' Ellie up higher on her hip, Leo the 'sock monkey' was running around the house like a mad man, she wouldn't have been at all surprised if it was revealed that the little boy had been eating the candy at the front door, Sawyer was in the room with Lily probably looking in the mirror and admiring her costume.

"Lucas you were going to parties at the same age"

"We cant turn back time mum but we can learn from our mistakes" he said with a smirk as he put his hand on his petite mums shoulder "Plus YOU were at the first Halloween party I went to at TRIC, it's hardly fair that Lily doesn't have to put up with this embarrassment on the dance floor at her first TRIC party"

"We cant turn back time Luke, we can only learn from our mistakes" she mocked

"You go and tell your Aunty to hurry up okay Ellie" he said kissing her sweatband and watching as her little chubby leg-warmer clad legs ran up the hallway yelling

"HURRRRRRRRRY UP"

"We are coming Ellie" Lily said with a slight opening of the door

"Finally" Lucas said as the door fully opened and his sister walked out

"NO" both he and his step father yelled as Lily stepped into full vision in her belly dancer costume that showed her whole midriff "Go back into your room and get changed" was the next line that came out of their mouths synchronised

"I'm rethinking this whole TRIC party thing Karen" Andy said with a stern face, something Karen couldn't take seriously in a cow costume "Maybe she should just come with us to Brooke's party"

"Dad it's just a costume" she ignored her brother

"A skimpy costume" Lucas added

"Peyton gets to be a beauty queen"

"Peyton is an adult and she can be a beauty queen if she wants too" Andy added

"Actually I'm honey boo boo" Peyton started off strong but then recoiled as she realised that that was besides the point

"Why don't you guys go ahead and start trick-or-treating and we will catch up to you" Karen said with a smile, that was one thing that Peyton loved about Karen, in any situation she could always pull out a smile that always looked genuine

"Good idea" Peyton said leaning down and picking up Jane Fonda and taking her Sock Monkeys hand "Sawyer it's time to go baby" she yelled out over the stare off that was happening between Lucas, Andy and Lily "Are you coming with me babe?" she asked to Lucas who turned and kissed her on the cheek but then returned to the staring contest that added a fourth member; his mother, at him. "Sawyer hold your brothers hand" she said before wrapping and arm around her husbands bicep and forcefully yanking, hard enough for him to become unsteady on his feet, marching towards the back door with her hot pink tulle gathering at the back

"Relax Honey Boo Boo I'm coming"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Okay Kids are you ready?" Skills yelled over the top of the excited formation of kids and adults in front of him

"He said "ARRRRRRRRRRGH YE READY" Julian said getting into the spirit of his costume

"YEAH" the older kids yelled out

"We will just wait five more minutes for Peyt and Luke and then we can head off" Brooke said in her snow-white outfit standing next to Haley and Nathan who respectively stood side by side as 'Salt and Pepper shakers'

"I think I see their car" Mouth yelled from the back of the group for about the tenth time, the streets were busy, he attempted to pick up his daughter but the complexity of both of their costumes didn't allow it, Molly McFadden's orange juice carton was too bulky to hold in his arms especially when Mouth was in his Bacon suit, he supposed that when little Molly's legs got tired Millicent could pick her up as her 'egg' costume was more flexible "It's definitely them guys"

"Sorry we are late" Peyton yelled with a flustered laugh as she got out of the car and headed towards the back doors "Lucas had some issues with Lily's costume for the TRIC all ages party" Peyton smiled as she put Ellie down on the ground and she promptly ran over to Skills

"And Sawyer is…." Haley said standing up on her tippy toes to get a glimpse of her niece and the late costume change "A Bowl of Spaghetti"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I thought you said that couple costumes were tacky" Lucas said into Haley's ear as he walked up behind her

"Actually No, It was Nathan who very loudly expressed distain for couple costumes, I actually find them very entertaining"

"So how did you get him to be the Pepper to your Salt baby?" he cringed at the word baby that was not a pet name for his best friend Haley

" Well first of all BABY" she teased "He is the pepper to my Salt and secondly you don't get much say in your costume when you are out of town for work for a week" she laughed

"You are an evil genius"

"What can I say?" she shrugged her shoulders, she couldn't remind him more of Lydia if she tried "Thank you very much" she put on the Elvis voice as she mocked his costume, she threaded the arm that wasn't holding 'Thing 1' through his "It doesn't seem that long ago that we were going to the TRIC all ages Halloween party, we would be drinking by now but instead we are walking miniature humans from house to house and getting them hyped on candy, can you remember that day we went to the costume shop, trying to find the perfect one so that you could convince Brooke to be exclusive?"

"Sure do Hales, you called me hot" he smirked

"I did not! I called the Jack Sparrow costume Hot not you, Yuck"

"You think I'm hot Haley, don't deny it"

"I was trying to win Nathan back and you suggested the belly dancer outfit"

Lucas' face went dead serious "I never ever want to hear the words belly dancer again"

X-x-x-x-x-x

Lydia, Sawyer, Davis and Jude all walked together in a line swinging their trick-or-treating buckets as they walked from house to house, they had only been to two houses but it hadn't been dark yet so the settings hadn't been as scary. As they all went to turn onto the pathway for their first in the dark house Lydia recoiled and gulped, her little eyes darting from the front door that her cousins and friends were slowly approaching, at the tomb stones on the front lawn and then to the group of adults, her group of adults who they had managed to put a distance that seemed like forever between. Ghosts and Witches and Clowns all passed her and she shook, trying to decide what to do next, would she brave it and go up to the door on her own to catch up with Sawyer and the Baker boys or would she make a run for it back to her big strong dad who would protect her from any zombies that tried to eat her brain. She felt a hand on either side of her torso as began to leave the ground; she put her hands up to her head and screamed "PLEASE DON'T EAT MY BRAINS" for a moment she held her eyes together tightly before realising that no one was gnawing at her brain nor any of her limbs and opening them, turning around to see her uncles smiling face "You wont eat my brains Uncle Luke" she instantly became less tense

"Why aren't you with the other kids little missy?"

"It's spoooooooooky" she said before clinging onto his neck, as the generic 'haunted house' cd played loudly from the speakers set up behind the hedges "I don't like it"

"Do you want to know something?" she nodded "I used to get really scared when I went trick-or-treating when I was your age too, and I remember that once there was a really spooky house and your Uncle Skills, Uncle Mouth and Uncle Fergie had all gone ahead because they weren't scared and my mum and Keith were so far away but do you know what happened?"

"Nope"

"Your mum came and took my hand and she said 'Let's do this together Luke' and I was still scared but I knew that I had my best friend standing next to me…so I could throw her at the zombies first" he said before tickling her and then placing her back on the pavement "So how about it Lydsi" he said adjusting her bunny ear beanie and putting his hand in hers "Let's do this together" she grasped his hand tightly and walked with him up the path

X-x-x-x-x-x

"I'll trade you on candy necklace for the popping candy" Lydia said as she sat on her dad's knee

"You sell a hard bargain Lydia-Bob" she held onto her candy necklace tightly

"Do we have a deal papa bear?"

"I'll take it bear cub" he said as she smiled with glee up at him before unwrapping the candy necklace and putting it around his neck "Thank you baby" he said before passing her the popping candy and lifting her off his knee and onto the ground "You go play with the other kids for a while, tire yourselves out" he said as he stood up from the rocking chair he had been sitting in "No more candy okay kids" he said as he stood at the opened door as all the kids laughed in response

"I like your necklace Nate" Brooke said passing him a beer as he walked into the kitchen "You know what" she said as she leant against the wall "This is my party right and it is rocking but I cant help wondering when it was that we became so old and too lame to go to the all ages parties at TRIC"

"I think you are no longer allowed to go to them when you have changed the nappy of one of the party goers"

"It's not fair, Chase still gets to go"

"He runs TRIC, he kind of has to be there"

"I say we go anyway"

"How many drinks have you had Brooke?" she looked down and started counting her fingers before getting side tracked and looking back up at him with this confused look on her face

"A couple" she laughed

"Who is going to take you?" he said putting the beer to his lips, ready for the first luxurious sip which was quickly stolen from him as Brooke snatched the beer from his hands

"You?" he shook his head and walked away from her

"Come on Pepper" she yelled after him "You're no fun anymore, oh hang on a minute here comes Honey boo boo" Brooke laughed as Peyton came up and stood beside her

"Oh how I love drunk Brooke"

"I think you need to be drunker" she said reaching behind the bench and pulling out a cold drink and passing it to Peyton

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Thanks for the ride Chase" Jamie said jumping out of the car with Chuck and Lily "I called home and no one answered so I figure my parents must still be here"

"It looks like the party is still rocking" Lily said wrapping Jamie's suit jacket around herself to get some kind of warmth, she at the point was glad that he had gone to the party as James Bond.

"It'll probably be starting to simmer down now" Chase said as he opened the front gate with the four teens behind him, Alex had called him just over an hour before saying that she was heading home with their little Minnie mouse but that the party was still happening and that he should head over after his shift if he wanted too. They opened the door and got hit by the loudness of the music, doubting that any of the kids in the house would be able to sleep through that considering the whole neighbourhood probably couldn't sleep through it. Jamie spotted something and put his hand quickly to his head as he looked down

"What's up Scott?" Chuck asked looking at his best friend

"Can you seriously not see my mum and aunties dancing like they are back in high school on the cheer squad?"

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Did you even undress the kids last night?" he asked as his little brother ran past him in his 'Thing 2' costume from the night before

"They were sleeping so peacefully" a muffled voice came from the counter of the bench that Haley had her head on

"Mum you are such a rookie"

"Excuse Me," she said lifting her head up rather quickly before going "Ow" and putting her hand as though it was going to support her head "I have been drinking successfully for a long time now and anyway James Lucas Scott you should be the rookie in that situation, and if I hear anything to the contrary" her head hurt every time that she opened her mouth or tried to think "something bad will happen, Nathan" she said requesting for him to finish the conversation for her

"Your mum cant talk she is very hung over but the gist of it is that you will be suffering some serious consequences if she catches you drinking my friend"

"Nice necklace dad" Jamie smirked as he stood up and walked away from the kitchen

"Where are you going? I thought I was making you breakfast?"

"Lydia hasn't surfaced yet, I'm going to make sure that she is still breathing and isn't in a sugar coma" he yelled down the stairs as he took them two at a time. He walked up the long hallway and to the door with her name on it, Jamie walked in and smiled, Lydia was sound asleep in bed surrounded by candy wrappers, ever so often letting out a little snore. Jamie laughed and snuck back out the door, nearly 100% sure that his little sister was still alive and kicking.

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Bop it, Twist it, Flick it, Pull it, Bop it, Twist it, Flick it, Pull it, Bop it, Twist it, Flick it, Pull it…"

"Please oh please make it stop Julian" Brooke begged from the front seat

Julian laughed, he, unlike his incredibly hung over wife could see the hilarity in the situation because he had stopped drinking well before midnight knowing full well that someone had to be awake when the twins woke up

"Boys how about you put the bop it down and play something a little more quiet, your mum has a bit of an adult headache going on up here"

"Okay daddy" Davis said as he threw the bop it down at his feet and instead pulled out the tickle me Elmo. Each time he pressed the middle and Elmo laughed Brooke would cringe, it was like nails on a chalkboard until finally she snapped

"Davis can I please look at tickle me Elmo?" she asked and her son without hesitance passed it to her, remaining oblivious to Elmo's fate despite the fact that his mother was winding down the window and then as they passed the stop sign Brooke threw him out the window, all three of her boys fell silent

X-x-x-x-x-x

"Why would you do that mum?" he asked outraged as they walked into Karen's café where a recovery day had been quickly planned as the residence of Tree Hill woke up to their hangovers

"I'm really sorry Davis, I will get you a new one tomorrow I promise"

"What happened?" Quinn asked as she grabbed the high chair from the front counter

"Brooke may have thrown Davis' tickle me Elmo out the window on the way here"

"Coffee?" Haley yelled across

"Yes Please" Brooke said as she pointed her boys in the direction of the kid's area before she took the cup off the bench

"Sawyer sweetie you still have spaghetti string in your hair" Karen said as her granddaughter ran up to her "I'll get it out for you"

"I'm pretty sure that one of my favourite parts of the whole night, well one of the only funny bits that I actually remember" Peyton laughed "Was when Haley and Nathan walked into the room and went "Sa-Salt n Peppers here" she said as she took a sip of her coffee as Lydia climbed up one of the chairs and sat on the bench next to her "What is that noise?" Peyton asked turning to the little girl who promptly opened her mouth to reveal the whole bag of popping candy that sat on her tongue "You are one classy little lady Lydia Scott" she laughed

The café door opened and sounded the bell that allowed for people to know that someone new had entered, no one really paid attention to it as they continued on with their conversation assuming that the door opening was just the entrance of a friend of family member who had shown up late to the recovery party "Wow, Looks like the whole gang is here" The voice said causing the whole room to turn around and face them

_To Be continued _

_*Authors note * _this chapter has been a long time coming, I've been stuck doing uni work since my last update and finally yesterday I decided that I was going to leave my homework for a couple of days and write a chapter because it would undoubtably make me feel better, it did its job!  
Who do you want it to be at the door of Karen's café? Let me know and it might just happen.

If anyone reads my story When we were young, I am in the process of writing another chapter and it will eventually one day again be updated. I'm about half way through. And for those of you that haven't read that story get with the program and read it

Thanks for reading xx


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